•^^^^BBB^w^ 


.-£ 


$^5£     x^^L^. 

£#j&^t^ 


A  VISIT  TO  THE  CABINET 


OF   THE 


UNITED  STATES  MINT, 


AT 


PHILADELPHIA. 


PRESS   OF 

J.   B.   LIPPINCOTT   &   CO. 
1876. 


Copyright,  1876,  ELIZABETH    B.  JOHNSTON. 


PREFATORY. 


IT  is  not  attempted  in  this  little  work  to  cover  in  detail 
the  whole  field  occupied  by  the  interesting  subject  of 
which  it  discourses.  But  it  is  believed  that  herein  are 
embodied  sufficient  curious  and  important  facts  to  satisfy 
the  general  reader's  demand  for  information  regarding  the 
art— its  history,  uses,  and  elegancies— to  which  the  fol- 
lowing pages  are  devoted. 

Thanks  are  due  to  the  courteous  officers  of  the  Mint  for 
the  promptness,  as  well  as  patience,  with  which  they  sup- 
plied to  the  writer  all  information  sought.  From  them, 
and  from  such  other  authorities  as  the  works  of  ex-Director 
Snowdenandthoseof  Mr.  W.  E.  Dubois,  the  distinguished 
numismatist,  have  most  of  the  needed  data  hereof  been 
derived.  E  R 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

INTRODUCTORY 7 

THE  MINT J3 

The  Cabinet 2O 

RELICS 32 

Coins 35 

Oriental 45 

Modern 52 

Selections 65 

MEDALS 69 

OFFICERS  OF  THE  MINT 83 

LIST  OF  MEDALS  TO  BE  OBTAINED  AT  THE  MINT 85 

TABLES  OF  COINS 89 


A  VISIT  TO  THE  CABINET 

OF   THE 

UNITED    STATES    MINT. 


INTRODUCTORY. 

HISTORICAL   IMPORTANCE   OF   COIN. 

IT  is  impossible,  in  a  cursory  glance  at  the  subject,  to 
appreciate  the  importance  or  pleasure  the  numismatist  real- 
izes in  his  studies.  That  a  thorough  knowledge  of  coins  and 
medals  is  a  history  of  the  world  from  that  early  date  in 
which  metals  were  put  to  such  uses,  will  be  admitted  by  all 
who  have  given  time  and  labor  to  investigation.  Coin  is 
history  epitomized.  History  engraven  upon  golden  coins 
and  medals  lies  hidden  in  tombs  or  buried  in  the  bosom  of 
mother  earth,  deposited  there  by  miserly  hands  ages  long 
past.  All  that  was  mortal  in  the  sepulchre  becomes  dust, 
but  neither  worm  nor  mould  can  rob  the  golden  witness  of 
Us  testimony.  It  may  have  lain  centuries  in  the  sea,  but 
salt  water  will  not  corrode  it,  and  should  nature,  in  con- 
vulsive throes,  cast  coin  or  medal  upon  dry  land,  the  story 
it  tells  will  be  accepted,  and  possibly  establish  facts  con- 
cerning which  the  learned  have  fought  a  thousand  battles. 

The  rudeness  or  perfection  of  coins  and  medals  furnish 
sure  tests  of  the  character  and  culture  of  the  periods  of 
their  production.  This  is  equally  true  of  that  rare  speci- 
men of  antiquity,  the  Syracuse  silver  medal,— the  oldest 
medal  known  to  collectors, — and  the  latest  triumph  of  the 
graver's  art  in  gold,  the  Metis  medal. 

7 


THE   SYRACUSE  MEDAL 

was  given  as  a  reward  to  a  victor  in  the  Olympian  games. 
On  the  obverse  is  the  head  of  Ceres,  often  spoken  of  as  that 
of  a  young  Patrician ;  which  is  erroneous,  from  the  fact 
that  no  mortal's  head  was  allowed  on  the  coins  of  this  pe- 
riod. The  primitive  Syracusan  emblem,  the  dolphin,  is  a 
distinguishing  feature.  The  reverse  represents  a  chariot 
race, — four  horses  abreast,  with  Fame,  or  Victory,  hover- 
ing over  the  driver.  While  this  medal  is  interesting  as 
a  relic,  it  is  marvelous  as  a  work  of  art.  The  archaeologist 
eagerly  scans  numismatic  treasures  as  the  landmarks  of  his- 
tory,— a  kind  of  legal  tender  of  truth, — which  all  are  com- 
pelled to  accept.  Whatever  has  been  written  upon  vellum 
or  found  upon  papyrus  has  a  corroborative  witness  in  a 
coin  or  medal.  Many  facts  are  testified  to  only  by  these 
undying  witnesses,  and  many  lost  links  are  supplied.  Gib- 
bon says,  "  If  there  was  no  other  record  of  Hadrian,  his 
career  would  be  found  written  upon  the  coins  of  his  reign." 

COINS   AND   MEDALS 

also  mark  the  introduction  of  laws ;  for  example,  an  old 
Porcian  coin  gives  the  date  of  the  "  law  of  appeal,"  under 
which,  two  centuries  and  a  half  later,  Paul  appealed  to 
Caesar.  Another  relic  dates  the  introduction  of  the  ballot- 
box  ;  and  a  fact  interesting  to  the  agriculturist  is  established 
by  an  old  silver  coin  of  Ptolemy,  upon  which  a  man  is  rep- 
resented cutting  millet,  a  variety  of  Indian  corn,  with  a 
scythe.  Religions  have  been  promulgated  by  coins.  Is- 
lamism  says  upon  a  gold  coin,  "No  deity  but  God.  He 
has  no  partners.  Mohammed  is  God's  friend,  God's 
apostle;  God's  apostle  sent  with  command,  and  religion 
of  truth  to  exalt  it  over  all  religions  in  spite  of  their  up- 
holders. In  the  name  of  God,  the  compassionate,  the 
merciful,  this  denarius  was  struck." 


Persian  coins  in  mystic  characters  symbolize  the  dreadful 
sacrifices  of  the  Fire-Worshipers.  Again,  Henry  VIII., 
with  characteristic  egotism,  upon  a  medal  struck  for  Henry 
by  Henry,  announces  in  Hebrew,  Greek,  and  Latin  : 
"Henry,  Eighth  King  of  England,  France,  and  Ireland  ; 
Defender  of  the  Faith,  and  in  the  land  of  England  and 
Ireland,  under  Christ,  the  Supreme  Head  of  the  Church." 

We  cannot  quite  look  upon  coins  and  medals  as  fash- 
ion-plates ;  yet  the  costumes  of  all  ages  are  stamped  upon 
them,  from  the  golden  net  confining  the  soft  tresses  of  the 
"sorceress  of  the  Nile,"  and  the  gemmed  robe  of  Queen 
Irene,  to  the  broidered  stomacher  of  Queen  Anne,  and  the 
stately  ruff  of  Elizabeth  of  England. 

In  this  connection  may  be  mentioned  the  "bonnet 
piece"  of  Scotland,  a  coin  of  the  reign  of  James  VI., 
which  is  extremely  rare,  one  of  them  having  recently  sold 
for  £41.  The  coin  received  its  name  from  a  representation 
of  the  king  upon  it,  with  a  curiously  plaited  hat  or  bonnet 
which  this  monarch  wore,  a  fashion  that  gave  occasion  for 
the  ballad,  "  Blue  Bonnets  over  the  Border." 


HERALDIC   EMBLEMS 


are  faithfully  preserved  through  this  medium ;  in  truth, 
medallic  honors  may  be  claimed  as  the  very  foundation 
of  heraldic  art.  We  discover  medals  perpetuating  revolu- 
tions, sieges,  plots,  and  murders  not  a  few.  We  prefer 
directing  attention  to  the  fact  that  coins  and  medals  are 
not  only  the  pillars  of  history,  but  a  favorite  vehicle  of 
poetry — of  the  poetry  of  all  nations.  Epics  are  thus  pre- 
served by  the  graver's  art  in  space  inconceivably  small. 
Poets  turn  with  confidence  to  old  coins  for  symbol  as  well 
as  fact.  All  mythological  and  allegorical  beauty  have  in 
coins  and  medals  found  sure  retreat,  and  poetry  a  home 
protected  from  the  tooth  of  Time  or  the  changes  of  the 
ages. 


10 


One  of  the  most  graceful  historical  allusions  is  conveyed 
in  the  great  seal  of  Queen  Anne,  after  the  union  of  Scot- 
land with  England.  A  rose  and  a  thistle  are  growing  on 
one  stem,  while,  from  above,  the  crown  of  England  sheds 
effulgence  upon  the  tender  young  plant. 

THE   GRACES   OF    HISTORY 

are  not  alone  recorded,  and  as  an  example  of  a  very  dif- 
ferent nature  may  be  cited  the  medals  commemorating  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  whole  series  marking 
that  episode,  especially  those  classed  "Judaea  capta." 
They  tell  sadly  of  a  people's  humiliation  :  the  tied  or 
chained  captive  ;  the  mocking  goddess  of  victory,  all  made 
more  real  by  reason  of  the  introduction,  on  the  reverse  of 
each  piece,  of  a  Jewess  weeping  bitterly,  and  though  she 
sits  under  a  palm-tree,  not  a  willow,  the  national  lament 
of  another  captivity  is  forcibly  recalled  : 

"  By  the  rivers  of  Babylon,  there  we  sat  down,  yea,  we 
wept,  when  we  remembered  Zion. 

"  We  hanged  our  harps  upon  the  willows  in  the  midst 
thereof." 

An  interesting  specimen  of  the  series  above  mentioned 
was  recently  found  in  the  south  of  France  called,  "  Judaea 
Navillas,"  valuable  particularly  because  it  strengthens  a 
historian's  (Josephus)  assertion  which  had  provoked  some 
comment,  viz. :  the  fact  of  the  escape  of  a  large  number  of 
Jews  from  the  Romans,  by  means  of  ships,  at  Joppa. 

HUMOR   IN    MEDALS. 

While  it  is  sad  to  see  these  faithful  illustrations  of  the 
sorrows  of  the  past,  a  few  pieces  are  found"  which  would 
provoke  a  smile  from  the  most  demure  and  reverential 
antiquarian.  The  medal  of  George  I.,  on  the  reverse, 
boastfully  presents  "the  horse  of  Brunswick"  flying  over 
the  northwest  of  Europe,  symbolizing  the  Hanoverian  sue- 


II 


cession.  Recalling  all  the  stories  of  horseflesh  ever  told, 
from  Bucephalus  to  that  wonderful  charger  described  by 
Winthrop,  we  are  sure  no  horse,  save  Pegasus,  can  have 
leaped  the  continent.  The  overthrow  of  the  "  Invincible 
Armada"  was  the  occasion  of  a  Dutch  medal,  showing  the 
Hollanders  richer  in  faith  than  in  art  culture,  for  the  ob- 
verse of  this  medal  presents  the  church  upon  a  rock  in 
mid-ocean,  while  the  reverse  suggests  the  thought  that  the 
luckless  Spanish  mariner  was  driving  against  the  walls  of 
the  actual  building. 


LANGUAGE. 


The  effect  of  coin  on  language  is  direct,  and  many  words 
may  be  found  whose  origin  was  a  coin,  such  as  Daric,  a 
pure  gold  coin  ;  Talent,  mental  ability;  Sterling,  genuine, 
pure  ;  while  Guinea  represents  the  aristocratic  element,  and, 
though  out  of  circulation  long  ago,  "  no  one  who  pretends 
to  gentility  in  England  would  think  of  subscribing  to  any 
charity  or  fashionable  object  by  contributing  the  vulgar 
pound.  An  extra  shilling  added  to  the  pound  makes  the 
guinea,  and  lifts  the  name  of  the  subscriber  at  once  into 
the  aristocratic  world."  In  this  connection  we  may  recall 
the  sentiment  of  Burns  : 

"  The  rank  is  but  the  guinea's  stamp, 
The  man's  the  gowd  for  a1  that." 

ARCHITECTURE. 

Architecture  is  largely  indebted  to  coins,  medals,  anJ 
seals  for  accuracy  and  data.  We  learn  from  the  medal 
of  Septimius  Severus  the  faultless  beauty  of  the  triumphal 
arch  erected  to  celebrate  his  victory  over  Arabs  and  Par- 
thians.  This  medal  was  produced  two  centuries  before  the 
Christian  era,  and  is  a  marvel  of  art,  for  its  perspective  is 
wrought  in  bas-relief, — an  achievement  which  was  not 
again  attained  before  the  execution  of  the  celebrated 


12 


Bronze  Gates  by  Ghiberti,  for  the  Baptistery  at  Florence, 
A.D.  1425.  This  exhumed  arch  was  excavated  long  after 
its  form  and  structure  were  familiar  to  men  of  letters 
through  the  medals.  It  is  not  generally  known  that  the 
rarest  portraits  of  famous  heroes  are 

FOUND   UPON   COINS   AND   MEDALS. 

The  historian,  especially  the  historic  artist,  is  indebted 
to  this  source  alone  for  the  portraits  of  Alexander,  Ptolemy, 
Cleopatra,  Mark  Antony,  Caesar,  and  many  other  celebri- 
ties. Perhaps  the  valuation  of  a  rare  coin  or  medal  may 
be  estimated  by  reference  to  one  piece  in  the  Mint  at  Phila- 
delphia. It  is  an  Egyptian  coin  as  large  as  a  half-eagle, 
and  has  on  the  obverse  the  head  of  the  wife  of  Ptolemy,— 
Arsinoe, — the  only  portrait  of  her  yet  discovered. 

Bronze  is  growing  in  favor,  and  now  much  preferred  to 
gold  for  medals.  Its  firm,  unchanging  surface  accepts  and 
retains  finer  lines  than  have  yet  been  produced  upon  gold 
and  silver,  and  it  offers  no  temptation  to  be  thrown  into 
the  crucible. 

MISERS. 

Collectors  estimate  the  loss  to  numismatography  very 
great  by  reason  of  the  temptation  the  gold  possesses,  and 
they  are  possibly  the  only  class  of  people  who  have  any 
apology  to  offer  for  the  miser.  The  habit  of  hoarding  has 
been  despicable  in  all  ages,  as  it  has  existed  since  the 
memory  of  man.  Yet  the  world  is  debtor  to  this  despised 
habit  for  some  of  its  most  invaluable  specimens  of  art,  and 
important  corroborative  history. 


THE  MINT. 


THE  people  of  the  United  States  entertain  a  regard  for 
the  Mint  different  from  that  in  which  they  hold  other 
public  institutions.  Its  age,  and  the  peculiarly  distinctive 
position  which  elevates  it  in  a  measure  above  political 
changes,  invest  it  with  a  certain  dignity  which  unhap- 
pily does  not  attach  to  other  Governmental  institutions. 
Change  in  its  directorship  has  at  times  followed  party  rev- 
olutions; with  but  little  interference,  however,  with  other 
officials,  as  men  of  attainments  and  long  experience  in 
the  several  professions  requisite  for  coinage  of  money  are 
rare  in  all  countries.  These  officers  are  not  only  required 
to  be  highly  proficient  in  their  various  specialties,  but  their 
characters,  like  their  gold,  must  be  "fine."  The  confidence 
placed  in  the  officials  of  the  United  States  Mint,  from  the 
highest  to  the  lowest,  is  a  pleasing  fact,  for  near  the  close  of 
the  century  no  shadow  rests  upon  any  name  identified  with 
its  history. 

The  need  of  a  mint  in  the  Colonies  was  keenly  felt  to 
be  a  serious  grievance  against  England  for  years  before  the 
Revolution,  and  as  soon  as  practicable  after  the  establish- 
ment of  Independence,  the  United  States  Mint  was  author- 
ized by  an  Act  of  Congress, — April  2,  1792. 

The  first  building  erected  in  any  part  of  the  United 
States  for  public  use,  under  the  authority  of  the  Federal 
Government,  was  a  structure  for  the  United  States  Mint. 
This  was  a  plain  brick  edifice,  on  the  east  side  of  Seventh 
Street,  above  the  street  now  called  Filbert,  the  corner-stone 
of  which  was  laid  by  David  Rittenhouse,  Director  of  the 

2  13 


14 

Mint,  on  the  3131  of  July,  1792.  This  building  was  in  use 
for  that  purpose  about  forty  years,  having  been  abandoned 
for  the  present  location  in  1833.  The  building  now  occu- 
pied by  the  Mint  is  of  white  marble,  and,  though  not  of  im- 
posing proportions,  is  in  Grecian  style.  The  corner-stone 
was  laid  July  4,  1829,  by  Samuel  Moore,  Director,  and  the 
structure  was  completed  in  1833.  Needful  changes  have 
been  introduced  at  various  times  since,  and  it  was  made 
more  secure  as  a  depositary  for  its  treasures  by  having  been 
rendered  fire-proof  in  1856. 

In  the  year  1793  was  issued  the  first  coinage  of  the  United 
States.  This  was  of  copper,  brought  from  England,  and 
the  denominations  were  cents  and  half-cents.  In  cents  the 
number  was  112,212,  and  in  half-cents  31,934-  In  i?94 
silver  was  first  coined  at  the  Mint  of  the  United  States,  the 
amount  being  $1758  in  dollars,  and  $5300  in  half-dollars. 
In  this  connection  the  following  incident  is  related,  which 
illustrates  the  times  and  the  men :  President  Washington 
was  in  the  habit  of  inviting  his  chief  officials  to  dine  with 
him  once  a  week.  Upon  one  of  these  informal  occasions 
he  said  to  the  Director  of  the  Mint,  Henry  William  de 
Saussure,  "  It  would  give  me  great  pleasure  to  see  gold 
coin  from  the  United  States  Mint  before  my  term  of  office 
expires."  This  was  in  July  ;  Mr.  De  Saussure  next  day 
called  a  consultation  with  his  officers,  and  in  October 
carried  a  hundred  golden  eagles  to  the  President. 

As  a  contrast  and  a  wonderful  evidence  of  the  vast  growth 
of  this  country,  it  will  be  well  to  give  the  figures  of  the 
official  report  of  the  Philadelphia  Mint  coinage  for  the 
fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1876  : 

Gold,  422,265  pieces;  value,  $8,260,937.50. 

Silver,  29,303,000  pieces  ;  value,  $6,600,502.50. 

Nickel,  2,906,000  pieces;  value,  $140,260. 

Bronze,  9,721,000  pieces;  value,  $97,210. 

Total,  42,362,265  pieces;  value,  $15,098,910. 


No  attempt  will  be  made  in  this  limited  space  to  describe 
the  many  rooms  in  the  building,  or  the  modus  operandi  of 
coinage.  The  visitor  upon  entering  will  receive  courteous 
attention,  and  all  questions  are  certain  to  receive  an  intel- 
ligent response,  so  that  a  walk  through  such  rooms  as  are 
open  to  the  public  is  not  only  instructive,  but  will  be  re- 
membered by  all  with  interest. 

WEIGHING-ROOM. 

There  is  an  universal  curiosity  in  regard  to  the  process 
by  which  a  lump  of  silver  or  gold  is  transformed  into  the 
dignity  of  a  dollar  or  an  eagle,  which  curiosity  is  only  par- 
tially satisfied,  as  it  is  both  impracticable  and  unsafe  to 
allow  visitors  to  enter  every  room  where  the  work  is  being 
performed.  In  the  deposit-  and  weighing-room  the  in- 
terest is  divided  between  the  weights,  the  weighing,  and 
the  weighed.  There  are  few  persons  who  have  not  seen 
gold  or  silver  bullion,  but  the  nicety  of  the  scales  is  quite  a 
study.  The  largest  weight  used  in  this  room  is  five  hun- 
dred ounces,  the  smallest  only  the  hundredth  part  of  an 
ounce.  On  the  right  of  this  room  is  a  vault,  of  which 
there  are  twelve  in  the  building.  They  are  of  solid  ma- 
sonry, and  several  of  them  are  iron-lined,  with  double  iron 
doors,  and  the  most  ingenious  and  burglar-defying  locks. 
In  the  gold  and  silver  melting-rooms  all  the  gold  and  sil- 
ver used  at  the  Mint  in  the  coinage  of  money  is  weighed, 
melted,  and  moulded  into  ingots,  which  are  wedge-shaped 
bars  of  silver  and  gold,  the  first  worth  $60  apiece,  and  the 
second  $12. 50, differing,  however,  in  size  and  value  accord- 
ing to  the  use  for  which  they  are  designed. 

These  ingots  are  carefully  stamped  with  their  value.  A 
very  wise  provision  in  these  rooms  is  the  false  floor,  which 
is  made  of  iron  sections  about  a  foot  square,  subdivided 
into  smaller  sections  called  "scrapers."  These  prevent 
any  small  particles  of  the  precious  metals  from  adhering 


i6 

to  the  feet  of  those  who  are  at  work.  The  sweepings  of 
the  buildings  have  amounted  to  $50,000  a  year.  The 
baser  metals  are  melted  in  a  separate  room.  A  corridor 
leads  to  the 

ROLLING-ROOM, 

in  which  is  a  large  engine  of  eighty  horse-power,  the 
motive  power  of  the  rolling  machines  in  the  room,  as 
well  as  of  nearly  all  the  other  machinery  in  the  building. 
The  ingots  are  run  through  the  "rollers"  at  the  rate  of 
two  hundred  an  hour  for  each  roller.  These  are  so  ad- 
justed as  to  roll  the  metal  into  strips  of  the  exact  thick- 
ness of  the  intended  coin.  The  metal  is  then  placed  in 
the  cutting-presses,  where  it  is  cut  into  smooth  discs  known 
as  planchets,  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  of  which  are 
cut  in  a  minute.  When  cut  they  fall  into  a  pan  and  are 
taken  to  the  annealing  furnace  for  the  purpose  of  softening 
the  metal,  which  has  now  become  hard  and  brittle.  From 
there  they  go  to  the 

ADJUSTING-ROOM, 

where  the  work  requires  the  utmost  delicacy  and  precis- 
ion, and  this  is  done  entirely  by  ladies.  In  the 

CLEANING-ROOM, 

where  the  planchets  are  next  sent,  they  are  dressed  with 
acid,  then  washed  in  water,  and  thoroughly  dried. 

The  official  simplicity  of  the  regulations  which  obtained 
in  the  earlier  years  of  the  institution  is  amusing.  Not 
only  the  strength  of  the  horse  was  called  into  requisition, 
but  the  faithfulness  of  the  dog  ;  for  we  learn  from  regula- 
tions in  force  prior  to  the  introduction  of  steam  into  the 
institution,  that  "  no  person  shall  presume  to  ride  the 
horse  on  Sunday,"  and  that  "the  day-watch  shall  remain 
with  the  dog  inside  the  building  until  the  night-watch 
enters."  Under  the  third  Director,  Elias  Boudinot,  is 


17 

found  a  new  ordering  of  things,  such  as,  "  it  is  understood 
that,  in  future,  all  the  workmen  and  laborers  find  them- 
selves in  diet,  drink,  and  lodging."  Previous  to  this, 
rum  had  been  allowed  under  the  head  of  "  fatigue  rations ." 

COINING-ROOM. 

Finally  the  coining-room  is  reached,  where  our  interest 
in  the  bullion  we  are  watching  becomes  more  tangible  as 
it  approximates  a  dollar.  The  engine  here  is  a  subject  of 
daily  admiration.  To  it  is  attached  an  indicator  which, 
marking  the  revolutions,  gives  notice  to  the  chief  coiner 
if  the  working  of  the  machinery  has  been  interrupted 
without  good  cause.  This  fine  engine  was  almost  entirely 
made  and  put  up  by  the  workmen  of  the  Mint  in  1839, 
and  has  been  constantly  in  use  ever  since.  Here,  also,  are 
the 

MILLING-MACHINES, 

which  make  a  raised  and  beaded  border  on  the  edge  of 
the  planchet,  as  a  protection  against  "coin-clipping." 
That  work  is  guided  by  ladies,  and  the  wonderful  little 
machines  ////'//  more  than  a  thousand  a  minute.  The  coin- 
ing room  contains  ten  coining-presses,  which  are  seldom 
all  in  operation  ;  the  larger  ones  shaping  double-eagles  and 
dollars,  the  smaller  ones  other  silver  and  minor  coins. 
They  are  each  capable  of  producing  one  hundred  coins 
per  minute,  and  ladies  are  employed  to  work  them,  as 
extreme  precision  is  required,  for  the  least  conceivable 
inaccuracy  ruins  the  surface,  and  the  "spoils"  must  then 
be  returned  to  the  melting-room. 

The  process  of  stamping  coin,  though  of  so  much  im- 
portance, is  done  on  both  sides  at  once,  with  marvelous 
rapidity.  The  contrast  between  the  present  method  of 
stamping  money  by  steam,  and  the  antique  punch,  or  even 
the  hand-power  in  use  in  the  early  part  of  the  century,  is 
both  interesting  and  instructive. 

2* 


i8 

The  first  coining-press  was  invented,  in  1833,  by  Thon- 
nelier,  a  Frenchman,  and  introduced  in  the  U.  S.  Mint  in 
1836  ;  though  used  for  nearly  half  a  century,  the  changes 
or  improvements  have  been  immaterial,  to  make  it  an- 
swer perfectly  the  requirements  for  the  work  of  to-day, — 
which  cannot  be  said  of  many  inventions.  Nowhere  can 
the  advancement  in  the  nice  art  of  coinage  be  more 
readily  appreciated  than  in  watching  the  rapid  evolutions 
of  the  "feeders,"  which  take  each  planchet  as  it  is  pre- 
sented at  the  lower  end  of  a  brass  tube,  and  place  it  on  a 
lower  die.  At  the  very  moment  this  die  sinks  below  a 
collar  or  metal  enclosure,  the  upper  die  descends,  and  a 
dollar  is  added  to  the  coin  of  the  United  States,  an  au- 
thorized fact,  a  witness  to  the  coming  ages  of  the  law 
which  called  it  into  existence — a  record  of  the  very  nation 
itself.* 

THE   COUNTING- BOARDS 

are  quite  curious  inventions,  and  are  used  only  for  small 
silver  and  minor  coins.  Twenty-five  dollars  of  the  small- 
est silver  denomination  can  be  counted  by  this  "  lightning 
calculator"  in  less  than  a  minute.  The  board  is  a  plain 
wooden  surface,  with  parallel  grooves  of  copper  the  size 
of  the  coin  to  be  counted.  It  is  worked  by  hand  over 
a  box,  and  the  coins  are  counted  as  they  fall  into  it. 
They  are  then  taken  from  the  box,  put  in  bags,  and  re- 
moved to  the  office  of  the  Coiner,  where  they  are  again 
weighed  and  counted.  By  him  they  are  handed  over  to 
the  Treasurer,  and  are  ready  for  delivery  on  demand. 

After  this  brief  walk  through  the  Mint,  such  as  all 
visitors  are  permitted  to  take,  the  stairway  and  corridors 

*  The  difference  in  the  edges  of  gold  and  silver  coin  and  those  of  copper 
or  nickel  is  caused  by  the  collar.  That  used  for  gold  and  silver  is 
"  reeded,"  making  a  delicate  fluted  edge,  while  for  the  "  minor  coins"  it 
is  smooth,  and  the  coins  have  a  plain  edge. 


19 

are  shown  leading  to  the  Cabinet,  where  no  student  of 
history,  no  lover  of  art,  can  fail  to  find  rare  and  curious 
tokens  of  almost  every  age  and  country  since  the  very 
dawn  of  civilization  ;  to  an  outline  sketch  of  these  this 
little  pamphlet  is  chiefly  devoted.  Near  the  exit  door  of 
the  Cabinet,  in  a  large  glass  case,  is  a  magnificent  Ameri- 
can eagle,  which  is  worthy  of  the  visitor's  attention.  It  is 
superbly  mounted,  with  grand  breadth  of  wing  and  won- 
drous piercing  eyes.  The  portrait  of  this  "pet"  can  be 
recognized  on  the  obverse  of  the  first  nickel  cent  pieces 

coined  in  1857. 

"PETER," 

the  name  which  the  noble  bird  recognized,  was  an  in- 
habitant of  the  Mint  six  years.  He  would  fly  about  the 
city,  but  no  one  interfered  with  the  going  or  coming  of 
the  "Mint  bird,"  and  he  never  failed  to  return  from  his 
daily  exercise  before  the  time  for  closing  the  building. 
In  an  evil  hour  he  unfortunately  perched  upon  a  large 
fly-wheel,  and,  getting  caught  in  the  machinery,  received 
a  fatal  injury  in  his  wing,  and  rapidly  ended  rather  an 
unusual  career  for  an  eagle.* 

EASTERN   CORRIDOR. 

Opening  into  the  eastern  corridor  are  the  Director's 
room,  those  of  the  Chief  Clerk,  Chief  Engraver,  and  Chief 


*  An  old  citizen  of  Philadelphia  is  authority  for  the  following  story : 
"  On  one  fourth  of  July  '  Peter,"  making  a  longer  flight  than  was  his  cus- 
tom, sat  upon  the  topmost  bough  of  a  large  tree,  corner  of  South  and 
Broad  Streets,  attracting  and  amusing  a  large  crowd  by  his  demonstra- 
tions— of  course  the  result  of  excitement  from  the  unusual  noise  in  the 
streets.  Soon,  however,  an  Irishman,  who  fed  him  in  the  Mint,  came 
under  the  tree  and  called,  '  Peter,  coome  down  !'  The  crowd  jeered,  but 
the  Irishman  averring  'Sure  he  looves  me  as  if  he  were  me  own  son,'  re- 
peated '  Peter,  coome  down !'  and  the  bird  came  swooping  down  to  the 
shoulders  of  the  delighted  Patrick,  rather  to  the  sudden  terror  of  the 
lesser  element  in  the  assemblage." 


2O 

Coiner,  and  the  Library  of  Historical  and  Scientific  Works, 
including  many  valuable  books  upon  the  art  of  coinage. 
Passing  out  upon  the  gallery,  we  enter  the  Machinists'  and 
Engravers'  rooms.  Here  are  engraved  and  finished  the 
dies  used  in  this  Mint  and  in  all  the  branch  mints.  Visitors 
are  not  ordinarily  allowed  access  to  these  rooms,  to  the/ 
assay  office,  or  to  the  cellar.  In  the  latter  are  a  number 
of  immense  vaults,  and  in  the  main  cellar  under  the  yard 
are  six  large  boilers,  which  supply  the  steam  used  through- 
out the  building.  Here  are  also  blacksmith,  carpenter,  and 
paint  shops ;  and  in  the  rear  is  the  medal-striking  room, 
where  medals  are  struck  by  a  screw  press,  worked  by  hand. 
The  cellar  also  contains  the  "  sweep"  grinding  rooms.  The 
importance  of  the  "  sweeps"  has  been  heretofore  remarked. 
Near  the  room  are  the  wells,  which  are  receptacles  for 
the  water  used  in  washing-rooms.  These  wells  are  cleaned 
out  every  few  years,  and  the  deposit  is  then  treated  in 
the  same  way  as  the  sweepings.  The  little  wooden  build- 
ing in  the  yard  is  the  "cent  room,"  where  cents  are  ex- 
changed for  nickel. 

THE    CABINET. 

The  room  in  the  Mint  used  for  the  Cabinet  is  on  the 
second  floor.  It  was  formerly  a  suite  of  three  apartments 
connected  by  folding-doors,  but  the  doors  have  been  re- 
moved, and  it  is  now  a  pleasant  saloon  fifty-four  feet  long 
by  sixteen  wide.  The  eastern  and  western  sections  are  of 
the  same  proportions,  each  with  a  broad  window.  The 
central  section  is  not  quite  so  large,  and  is  lighted  from 
the  dome,  which  is  supported  by  four  columns.  There  is 
an  open  space  immediately  under  the  dome,  to  give  light 
to  the  hall  below,  which  is  the  main  entrance  to  the  Mint. 
Around  this  space  is  a  railing  and  a  circular  case  for  coins. 
Though  the  saloon  is  neither  pretentious  nor  handsome,  it 
is  well  adapted  to  the  uses  to  which  it  is  devoted.  The 


21 


Cabinet  of  Coins  was  instituted  in  1838,  by  Dr.  R.  M.  Pat- 
terson, then  Director  of  the  Mint.  Anticipating  such  a 
demand,  reserves  had  been  made  for  many  years  by  Adam 
Eckfeldt,*  the  Coiner,  of  the  "  master  coins"  of  the  Mint ; 
a  term  used  to  signify  first  pieces  from  new  dies,  bearing  a 
high  polish  and  struck  with  extra  care.  These  are  now 
more  commonly  called  "  proof  pieces,"  and  by  the  French 
gracefully  named  "  fleur  de  coin."  With  this  nucleus,  and 
a  few  other  valuable  pieces  from  Mr.  Eckfeldt,  the  business 
was  committed  to  the  Assay  Department,  and  especially  to 
Mr.  Dubois,  who  was  then  Assistant  Assayer.  Many  rare 
coins  were  found  in  deposits  that  reached  our  shores  by 
means  of  the  varied  and  extensive  stream  of  immigration  that 
has  flowed  into  the  United  States  during  the  last  half-cen- 
tury ;  the  same  advantage  exists  in  a  measure  to-day.  The 
collection  grew,  year  by  year,  by  making  exchanges  to  sup- 
ply deficiencies,  by  purchases,  by  adding  our  own  coin,  and 
by  saving  foreign  coins  from  the  melting-pot, — a  large  part 
in  this  way,  at  a  cost  of  not  more  than  their  bullion  value, 
though  demanding  great  care,  appreciation,  and  study. 
Valuable  donations  were  also  made  by  travelers,  consuls, 
and  missionaries.  In  1839,  Congress  appropriated  the  sum 
of  $1000  for  the  purchase  of  "  specimens  of  ores  and  coins 
to  be  reserved  at  the  Mint."  Annually  since  the  sum  of 
$300  has  been  appropriated  by  the  Government  for  this 
object.  More  has  not  been  asked  or  desired,  for  the  offi- 
cers of  the  Mint  have  not  sought  to  vie  with  the  long- 
established  collections  of  the  national  cabinets  of  the  old 
world,  or  even  to  equal  the  extravagance  of  some  private 
numismatists;  but  they  have  admirably  succeeded  in  their 
purpose  to  secure  such  coins  as  would  interest  all,  from  the 

»  Adam  Eckfeldt's  portrait  by  Samuel  Dubois  hangs  in  the  Cabinet. 
His  long  official  life  of  near  a  half-century  was  not  only  faithful  unto  a 
proverb  even  where  faithfulness  was  no  exception,  but  was  marked  by 
advance  and  usefulness  in  other  than  his  daily  duties. 


22 

schoolboy  to  the  most  enthusiastic  archaeologist.  The 
economic  principle  upon  which  the  collection  has  been 
gathered  is  a  lesson  to  all  governmental  departments  in  fru- 
gality, as  well  as  a  restraint  upon  the  natural  tendency  to 
extravagance  which  has  heretofore  distinguished  those  who 
have  a  passion  (it  often  becomes  that  in  intensity)  for 
old  coins.  There  are  thousands  of  coin  collectors  in  the 
United  States,  and  fortunes  have  been  accumulated  in  this 
strange  way.  More  than  one  authenticated  instance  has 
been  known  in  this  country  where  a  man  has  lived  in 
penury,  and  died  from  want,  yet  possessed  of  affluence  in 
time-defaced  coins. 

DAVID   RITTENHOUSE. 

Entering  the  Cabinet,  the  portraits  of  the  different  Di- 
rectors attract  attention.  The  portrait  of  David  Kitten- 
house,  the  first  Director,  is  very  fine  indeed,  it  being  a 
copy  of  a  painting  by  Charles  Wilson  Peale,  now  the  prop- 
erty of  the  American  Philosophical  Society.  The  artist 
who  reproduced  it  has  succeeded  so  well  that  it  is  not 
readily  distinguishable  from  the  original  Peale.  The  face 
is  exceptionally  pleasing,  and  well  portrays  the  character  of 
this  eminent  officer,  uniting  as  he  did  rare  ability  to  the 
graces  of  the  humanitarian  and  the  gentleness  of  a  Chris- 
tian. "His  countenance,"  says  Dr.  Rush,  "was  striking 
and  remarkable.  It  displayed  a  mixture  of  contemplation, 
benignity,  and  innocence."  Mr.  Rittenhouse  was  appointed 
by  Washington  April  14,  1792,  and  remained  in  charge  of 
the  Mint  until  June,  1795,  wnen  his  declining  health  com- 
pelled him  to  resign. 

He  was  long  an  invalid,  but  never  gave  up  his  habits  of 
study,  which  was  indeed  a  passion  through  life.  "  Hi<» 
bodily  infirmity  was  a  window,  through  which  he  often 
looked  with  pleasure  toward  a  place  of  existence  where  he 
would  probably  acquire  more  knowledge  in  an  hour  than 


23 

he  had  acquired  in  his  whole  life  by  the  slow  operation  of 
reason ;  and  where,  from  the  greater  magnitude  and  extent 
of  the  objects  of  his  contemplation,  his  native  globe  would 
appear  like  his  cradle,  and  all  the  events  of  time  like  the 
amusements  of  his  infant  years." — [Eulogy  by  Dr.  Rush, 
1813.] 

Though  the  difficulties  of  organizing  an  institution  of 
such  paramount  importance  may  readily  be  conceived,  the 
genius  of  Rittenhouse  seems  to  have  been  equal  to  the 
emergency,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  there  was  his  rival  at  that 
date  in  the  country  in  the  special  talent  required  for  the 
position.  Like  Hamilton  in  the  Treasury  and  Marshall  in 
the  Supreme  Court,  the  stamp  of  his  genius  remains  indeli- 
bly impressed  upon  the  Mint.  Mr.  Rittenhouse  descended 
from  an  old  Netherland  family  remarkable  for  its  enter- 
prise, which  had  been  in  America  three  generations.  At 
an  early  age  he  indicated  mechanical  talent  of  a  high  order 
in  the  construction  of  a  clock,  and  his  studies  from  that 
time  were  principally  mathematical.  His  genius  soon  at- 
tracted attention,  and  he  was  appointed  by  the  colonial 
governor  a  surveyor,  and  in  that  capacity  determined  the 
famous  Mason  and  Dixon  line.  He  received  the  degree  of 
Master  of  Arts  from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  also 
from  the  College  of  William  and  Mary.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Royal  Society,  London,  and  succeeded  Benjamin 
Franklin  as  President  of  the  American  Philosophical  So- 
ciety. He  was  the  first  President  of  the  "  Democratic  So- 
ciety" of  Philadelphia,  formed  in  1795.  Mr.  Wm.  Bar- 
ber, Chief  Engraver  of  the  Mint,  has  produced  a  very  fine 
bust  of  Dr.  Rittenhouse,  a  bronzed  medal.  Possibly,  ex- 
cepting Duvivier's  head  of  Washington  after  Houdon,  it 
cannot  be  surpassed  in  the  Cabinet.  The  engraver  had  a 
very  fine  subject,  and  treated  it  in  the  highest  style  of  art. 
On  the  obverse  is  "David  Rittenhouse,"  with  date  of  birth 
and  death.  On  the  reverse,  inscription,  "He  belonged  to 


24 

the  whole  human  race."— "  Wm.  Barber."     This  beautiful 
memento  is  highly  prized. 

HENRY   WILLIAM   DE   SAUSSURE. 

The  portrait  of  Henry  William  de  Saussure,  second  Di- 
rector, was  painted  by  Samuel  Dubois,  from  a  daguerreo- 
type taken  from  a  family  picture  in  the  possession  of  his 
son.  This  Director  was  distinguished  for  his  legal  ability, 
as  well  as  his  strict  integrity  and  modesty.  He  entered 
upon  his  duties  with  a  protest,  as  he  claimed  no  knowledge 
of  the  requirements  of  the  position,  having  long  been  a 
practicing  lawyer ;  but  he  was  reassured  by  Alex.  Hamil- 
ton, then  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and  proved  himself  a 
fine  officer  for  the  short  term  of  his  service.  He  was  ap- 
pointed by  Washington  July  8,  1795,  but  resigned  in  the 
following  October.  Washington  not  only  expressed  regret 
at  losing  so  valuable  an  officer,  but  consulted  him  as  to  the 
selection  of  a  successor.  A  man  distinguished  in  war  and 
peace  was  decided  upon. 

ELIAS   BOUDINOT, 

was  appointed  October  28,  1795,  and  remained  in  office 
eleven  years.  The  usefulness  of  this  long  and  well-sus- 
tained official  life  was  plainly  felt  during  many  succeed- 
ing years.  In  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1797  and  the 
two  following  years,  and  also  of  1802  and  1803,  the  Mint 
was  closed  on  account  .of  the  ravages  of  the  yellow  fever. 
Mr.  Boudinot  resigned  in  1805,  and  devoted  the  remainder 
of  his  life  to  benevolence  and  literary  pursuits.  He  died  on 
the  24th  of  October,  1821,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two. 
The  fine  portrait  of  this  venerable  Director  was  presented 
by  a  relative,  and  is  a  good  copy  of  a  painting  by  Waldo 
and  Jewett. 

ROBERT   PATTERSON,  LL.D., 

fourth  Director,  was  appointed  by  Jefferson,  January  17, 


25 

i8o6.  He  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  a  man  distin- 
guished for  his  acquirements  and  ability,  who  held  the 
office  of  Director  for  an  exceptionally  long  term  of  ser- 
vice. *  He  was  a  man  of  peculiarly  attractive  manners,  and 
highly  esteemed  by  his  contemporaries.  His  portrait,  which 
hangs  in  the  Cabinet,  is  a  copy  of  a  fine  original  by  Rem- 
brandt Peale. 

SAMUEL   MOORE,    M.D., 

fifth  Director,  was  appointed  by  James  Monroe  July  15, 
1824.  He  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  the  son  of  a 
distinguished  Revolutionary  officer.  He  was  one  of  the 
first  graduates  of  the  Penn  University,  having  graduated  in 
1791,  and  was  afterwards  a  tutor  in  that  institution.  During 
his  directorship  the  Mint  was  removed  to  the  present  build- 
ing. His  portrait  was  painted  from  life  by  Mr.  Samuel 
Dubois. 

ROBERT  MASKELL  PATTERSON,  M.D., 

son  of  a  former  Director,  was  sixth  Director  of  the  Mint, 
and  was  appointed  by  Andrew  Jackson,  May  26,  1835.  A 
summary  of  the  character  of  Dr.  Patterson  might  be  tersely 
expressed  in  the  phrase,  "A  worthy  son  of  a  worthy  sire," 
but  this  would  not  be  quite  a  sufficient  tribute.  His  term 
of  office  was  marked  by  an  entire  revolution  in  the  coinage, 
and  the  ready  acceptance  of  those  improvements  which  fol- 
lowed so  rapidly  upon  the  introduction  of  steam.  Dr.  Pat- 
terson possessed  the  advantage  of  foreign  travel,  rather  un- 
usual in  those  days ;  and  having  become  familiar  with  the 
discoveries  which  had  been  adopted  in  the  French  Mint, 
he  inaugurated  and  perfected  them,  also  introducing  im- 
provements, which  are  still  in  use,  in  the  machinery.  He 
was  a  man  of  commanding  intellect,  of  high  culture,  and  of 
robust  health,  until  well  advanced  in  years.  His  portrait 
is  in  the  Cabinet. 

B  3 


26 


DR.    GEORGE    N.    ECKERT 

was  the  seventh  Director,  appointed  by  Fillmore,  July  i, 
1851.  He  served  nearly  two  years,  and  resigning,  was  fol- 
lowed by  Thomas  M.  Pettit,  who  was  appointed  by  Pierce, 
April  4,  1853.  He  was  in  office  only  a  few  weeks  when  he 
died,  and  was  succeeded  by 

HON.  JAMES   ROSS   SNOWDEN, 

who  was  appointed  by  Pierce,  June  3,  1853.  During  his 
official  term  the  building  was  made  fire-proof,  the  large  col- 
lection of  minerals  was  added,  and  nickel  was  first  coined. 
Mr.  Snowden  has  placed  the  numismatic  world  under 
many  obligations,  by  directing  the  publication  of  two  val- 
uable quarto  volumes, — one  of  them  a  description  of  the 
coins  in  the  Cabinet,  under  the  title  of  "The  Mint  Manual 
of  Coins  of  all  Nations,"  the  other  "The  Medallic  Me- 
morials of  Washington,"  being  mainly  a  description  of  a 
special  collection  made  by  himself.  In  the  preface  to  the 
former  work,  he  gives  due  credit  to  the  literary  labors  of 
Mr.  George  Bull,  then  Chief  Curator,  and  also  to  the 
account  of  the  antique  collection,  by  Mr.  Dttbois,  then  out 
of  print,  and  reinserted.  These  books  are  valuable  as  au- 
thority, and  by  reason  of  the  national  character  of  the  last 
mentioned. 

JAMES   POLLOCK,  A.M.,  LL.D., 

the  tenth  Director  of  the  Mint,  was  appointed  by  Abraham 
Lincoln,  in  1861,  and  was  re-appointed  by  President  Grant, 
1869  to  1873.  He  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1810,  and 
was  early  left  to  the  guardianship  of  a  widowed  mother. 
He  graduated  at  Princeton  College,  New  Jersey,  in  1831, 
and  commenced  the  practice  of  the  law  in  1833.  He 
served  in  Congress  three  terms,  was  one  of  the  leading  rep- 
resentatives of  the  old  Whig  party,  and,  like  all  who  were 
prominently  identified  with  that  conservative  organization, 


27 

reveres  its  name  and  principles.  Many  to-day  remember 
his  election  from  a  strong  Democratic  district  in  Pennsyl- 
vania as  the  occasion  of  great  enthusiasm.  Governor  Pol- 
lock was  a  man  then  in  advance  of  his  times,  as  an  interest- 
ing historical  reminiscence  will  demonstrate.  On  the  23d 
of  June,  1848,  as  chairman  of  a  special  committee,  he  made 
a  report  to  the  House  of  Representatives  in  favor  of  the 
construction  of  a  railroad  to  the  Pacific  coast ;  and  in  the 
fall  of  the  same  year,  in  a  public  address  at  Lewisburg, 
Union  County,  Pennsylvania,  predicted  that  in  less  than 
twenty-five  years  we  should  have  connecting  railroad  lines 
from  New  York  to  San  Francisco,  and  a  line  of  steamships 
established  from  the  latter  point  to  China  and  Japan,  a 
prediction  fully  realized. 

Throughout  his  brilliant  Congressional  career,  Governor 
Pollock  was  ever  an  appreciative  advocate  of  the  claims  and 
possibilities  of  the  great  West.  He  was  elected  Governor 
of  Pennsylvania  in  1854;  in  1860  was  a  peace  delegate  to 
Washington  from  his  State  to  counsel  with  representatives 
from  different  parts  of  the  Union  as  to  the  possibility  of 
amicably  adjusting  our  unhappy  national  troubles. 

Governor  Pollock  was  Director  of  the  Mint  during  the 
war,  and  the  increased  demand  for  money  in  that  unpar- 
alleled public  emergency  greatly  added  to  his  official  labor 
and  responsibility.  The  motto,  "In  God  we  Trust,"  was 
introduced  upon  our  coins  by  Director  Pollock  ;  this  was 
not  only  appropriately  added  at  a  time  of  great  distress, 
but  will  for  ever  mark  an  era  in  United  States  coinage,  and 
link  with.it  the  name  of  the  man  who  piously  pointed  the 
nation  to  their  only  strength  in  peace  or  war.  It  is  difficult 
to  do  justice  to  an  official  without  appearing  to  praise  over- 
much, but  a  simple  reference  to  Governor  Pollock's  career 
indicates  a  life  of  usefulness,  ability,  and  stern  integrity. 
Having  been  twice  Director,  he  now  holds  the  office  of 
Superintendent  of  the  United  States  Mint  at  Philadelphia. 


28 

His  portrait,  by  Winner,  hangs  in  the  eastern  section  of 
the  Cabinet. 

HENRY    RICHARD    LINDERMAN,  M.D., 

a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  was  born  December  26,  1825. 
He  was  the  son  of  Dr.  John  Linderman,  and  commenced 
the  practice  of  his  profession  with  his  father  in  1845.  His 
association  with  the  United  States  Mint  began  in  1853, 
when  he  was  made  Chief  Clerk.  He  was  appointed 
eleventh  Director  of  the  Mint  by  Andrew  Johnson,  April 
i,  1867,  but  resigned  in  1869. 

Dr.  Linderman  during  the  next  few  years  was,  by  the 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  delegated  to  perform  various 
mint  and  monetary  missions  of  great  importance.  The 
United  States  Mint  was  developing  into  an  immense  bu- 
reau, and  a  different  organization  was  deemed  advisable. 
In  consequence  of  his  thorough  knowledge  of  the  workings 
of  all  the  mints  and  assay  offices  belonging  to  the  Govern- 
ment, Dr.  Linderman  became  one  of  the  chief  promoters 
of  the  revision  of  the  coinage  act,  placing  the  section 
mints  and  assay  offices  under  and  answerable  to  one  di- 
rector, whose  office,  as  reorganized,  constituted  a  bureau 
of  the  Treasury  Department. 

Under  an  Act  of  Congress  approved  February  12,  1873, 
Henry  R.  Linderman  was  appointed  by  the  President  to 
the  charge  of  the  Mint  and  all  branch  mints  and  assay 
offices  in  the  United  States,  with  the  title  of  Director  of 
the  Mint;  the  title  of  Superintendent  being  substituted 
for  those  appointed  to  the  direction  of  the  Mints  at  Phila- 
delphia, San  Francisco,  etc. 

While  the  title  remains  the  same,  the  responsibility  is 
greater  and  the  duties  more  onerous,  until  in  importance 
and  interest  it  is  scarcely  inferior  to  a  Cabinet  office. 

Dr.  Linderman  has  done  much  to  excite  the  considera- 
tion of  the  world  to  our  coinage,  by  the  introduction  of  the 


29 

"Trade  Dollar,"  which  has  in  truth  achieved  a  revolution 
in  our  oriental  monetary  relations.  So  short  a  time  has 
elapsed  since  its  issue  that  it  can  scarcely  be  regarded 
except  in  the  light  of  an  experiment,  but  the  discussions 
which  have  followed  its  appearance  will  doubtless  lead  to 
an  improved  system  of  international  money  exchange,  the 
effect  of  which,  not  only  upon  the  commercial  world  but 
upon  universal  progress  itself,  it  is  now  impossible  to  esti- 
mate. To-day,  Dr.  Linderman  is  an  authority  and  a  repre- 
sentative man  upon  this  subject,  at  home  and  abroad,  and  it 
will  be  the  pleasing  duty  of  the  future  biographer  of  this 
gentleman  to  make  a  record  of  professional  eminence,  sus- 
tained by  rare  personal  integrity.  Director  Linderman's 
portrait,  by  Johnson,  has  just  been  placed  in  the  Cabinet. 


OBVERSE.— WASHINGTON  BEFORE  BOSTON. 


REVERSE.— WASHINGTON  BEFORE  BOSTON. 


RELICS. 


HAVING  hurriedly  made  mention  of  the  portraits  of  the 
Directors  of  the  Mint,  it  is  well  to  remark  several  other 
interesting  matters  before  speaking  of  the  coins. 

The  first  object  in  the  Saloon  attracting  the  attention  is 
a  framed  copy  of  the  law  of  Congress  establishing  the  Mint, 
with  its  quaint  phraseology  and  the  original  signature  of 
Thomas  Jefferson  : 

CONGRESS   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES: 

AT   THE  THIRD   SESSION, 

Begun  and  held  at  the  City  of  Philadelphia,  on  Monday,  the  Sixth 
of  December,  One  Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  Ninety. 

RESOLVED,  By  the  SENATE  and  HOUSE  of  REPRESENTATIVES 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  in  Congress  assembled,  That  a 
Mint  shall  be  established  under  such  regulations  as  shall  be  directed 
by  law. 

Resolved,  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be,  and  he  is 
hereby  authorized  to  cause  to  be  engaged,  such  principal  artists  as  shall 
be  necessary  to  carry  the  preceding  resolution  into  effect,  and  to  stip- 
ulate the  terms  and  conditions  of  their  service,  and  also  to  cause  to  be 
procured  such  apparatus  as  shall  be  requisite  for  the  same  purpose. 
FREDERICK  AUGUSTUS  MUHLENBERG, 

Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

JOHN  ADAMS, 
Vice- President  of  the  United  States  and  President  of  the  Senate. 

APPROVED,  March  the  Third,  1791. 

GEORGE   WASHINGTON, 

President  of  the  United  States. 

DEPOSITED  among  the  ROLLS  in  the  OFFICE  of  the  SECRE- 
TARY of  STATE. 

TH:   JEFFERSON, 

Secretary  of  State. 
32 


33 

In  the  first  section,  near  the  western  window,  is  the 
assorting  machine,  the  invention  of  a  Frenchman,  Baron 
Seguier,  and  which  is  now  in  use  in  the  Mint  at  Paris. 

The  planchets  for  coinage  are  liable  to  be  a  little  too 
heavy  or  too  light ;  it  is  therefore  necessary,  at  least  in  the 
case  of  gold,  to  assort  them  by  weighing.  This  machine 
is  designed  to  enable  one  person  to  do  the  work  of  many. 
"The  planchets  are  thrown  into  the  hopper  at  the  rear,  and, 
being  arranged  by  the  action  of  the  wheel,  slide  down  bal- 
ances. By  machinery  beneath  they  are  carried  one  by  one 
to  the  nearest  platforms  to  be  weighed.  If  too  heavy,  the 
tall  needle  of  the  beam  leans  to  the  right,  and  lifts  a  pallet- 
wire,  which  connects  with  an  apparatus  under  the  table, 
by  which  the  planchet  is  pushed  off  and  slides  into  one  of 
the  brass  pans  in  front.  If  the  piece  be  light,  the  needle 
is  drawn  over  to  the  left,  and  touches  the  other  pallet, 
which  makes  a  passage  to  another  brass  pan.  If  the  piece 
be  of  true  weight,  or  near  enough,  the  needle  stands  up- 
right between  the  pallets,  and  the  piece  finds  its  way  into 
the  third  brass  pan." 

Here  are  also  deposited  six  old  watches  ;  two  of  them 
are  from  the  original  inventor,  and  were  made  about  the 
year  1500,  being  known  from  their  clumsiness  as  "  Nurem- 
burg  eggs."  One  of  them  is  still  in  working  order,  or  was 
within  a  few  years.  The  form  of  one  is  square,  and  they 
have  no  minute-hands. 

On  the  opposite  wall  is  a  fine  cast  of  Cromwell,  a  dupli- 
cate of  one  taken  shortly  after  his  death.  It  was  placed 
here  by  Mr.  W.  E.  Dubois,  who  received  it  from  H.  W. 
Field,  Esq.,  Assayer  of  the  Royal  Mint,  London,  who  is  a 
descendant  of  the  great  Protector.  Below  the  cast  of  Crom- 
well is  a  case  of  gold  plate,  showing  progressive  "  alloys  of 
gold."  The  plates  comprise  gold  alloyed  with  copper,  gold 
alloyed  with  silver,  gold  fine.  It  is  easy  to  distinguish  the 
difference  between  the  higher  and  lower  alloys  in  the  case, 
B* 


34 

but  the  nicety  of  the  advancing  grades  is  a  study  which  will 
baffle  all  save  skilled  eyes. 

In  the  eastern  section  are  the  Standard  Test  Scales,  which 
are  used  to  test  the  weights  sent  to  all  the  mints  and  assay 
offices  in  the  United  States,  and  are  so  delicate  as  to  dis- 
cover the  twenty-thousandth  part  of  an  ounce.  These 
scales  were  manufactured  by  employees  of  the  Mint,  and 
have  been  in  use  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century.  The 
beam  is  hollow,  and  filled  with  Spanish  cedar  to  guard 
against  the  effect  of  dampness;  the  bearings  are  edges  of 
knife-blades,  which  impinge  on  a  surface  of  agate  plate. 
These  scales  are  examined  once  a  year  by  the  Annual  Assay 
Committee,  which  meets  on  the  second  Tuesday  in  Feb- 
ruary. It  is  said  that  not  even  an  intrusive  fly  is  allowed 
to  remain  in  the  glass  case  during  the  process  of  weighing. 

CURIOSITIES   AND    MINERALS. 

A  large  part  of  the  ancient  pottery  and  other  curiosities 
do  not  belong  to  the  Mint,  but  are  deposited  for  an  indef- 
inite time  by  persons  of  taste  and  discrimination  in  such 
things,  and  are  all  very  curious.  Two  small  Etruscan  vases, 
with  handles ;  a  number  of  Roman  vases,  differing  in  de- 
sign, and  for  various  uses  ;  several  hand-lamps  of  the  vari- 
ety known  as  antique  lamps.  Two  of  the  latter  are  toy- 
lamps,  and  were  used  to  light  the  little  ones  to  bed,  as  they 
were  supposed  to  burn  as  long  as  their  tired  eyes  remained 
open.  When  a  child  died,  its  lamp  was  buried  with  it. 
There  are  also  two  "Lachrymatories,"  or  tear-bottles, 
very  small  flasks,  which  were  held  under  the  eyes  to  catch 
the  mourner's  tears,  and  afterward  sealed  and  deposited 
with  the  remains  of  the  deceased.  Other  curiosities  in  the 
case  are  a  lamp  with  seven  burners,  used  for  public  illumin- 
ation ;  three  small  Egyptian  idols  of  green  porcelain,  cov- 
ered with  hieroglyphics ;  an  amulet  of  the  Gnostics,  engraved 
with  cabalistic  signs,  and  used  as  a  charm  against  fever ;  an 


35 

Egyptian  scarabseus,  finely  carved  in  slate  ;  *  several  Peru- 
vian drinking-vessels,  found  in  tombs ;  a  sacred  book  of 
the  Hindus,  in  Sanscrit,  inscribed  upon  long  strips  of  bam- 
boo, strung  together  ;  and  a  "  Byzantine  prayer-book,"  a 
relic  of  the  dark  ages.  The  most  interesting  objects  of  this 
curious  display  are  three  golden  images  from  graves  in  the 
Island  of  Chiriqui,  off  Central  America.  They  were  dug 
up  in  1858,  and  sent  to  the  Mint  as  bullion,  to  be  melted. 
They  are  of  pure  gold,  but  the  workmanship  is  very  crude, 
and  they  are  extremely  puzzling  to  the  antiquarian.  The 
images  are  in  the  forms  of  a  reptile,  a  bird,  and  a  man  with 
symbols  of  power  in  his  hands,  not  unlike  those  designating 
Jupiter.  There  are  also,  in  the  first  section,  two  large  cases 
with  choice  selections  of  mineral  specimens,  carefully  class- 
ified and  labeled.  These  are  the  well-assorted  results  of 
years  of  patient  collecting,  and  are  deserving  of  more  study 
than  can  be  devoted  to  them  by  casual  visitors.  They  are 
chiefly  from  different  parts  of  the  United  States,  and  are  an 
"index  book"  to  the  vast  mineral  wealth  of  the  nation. 
There  is  not  space  in  this  short  sketch  for  more  than  a 
reference  to  these  cases,  but  Mr.  Snowden  has  given  quite 
an  attractive  description  of  this  section  of  the  Cabinet. 

COINS. 

The  ancient  coins  are  chiefly  arranged  in  upright  cases 
against  the  walls  in  the  doorways  and  the  middle  section  of 
the  Saloon.  The  modern  coins  are  placed  in  nearly  level 
cases  at  either  end  of  the  room  and  in  the  circular  or  cen- 
tral cases.  Of  antique  coins  the  portion  labeled 

GREEK   REPUBLIC 

will  be  first  in  interest,  both  historic  and  artistic.  It  is  con- 
ceded that  to  the  Greeks  the  world  owes  the  introduction 

*  Some  of  these  have  recen'ly  been  removed. 


36 

of  the  art  of  coinage,  and  though  centuries  numbered  by 
tens  have  passed,  some  of  the  old  Greek  coins  equal  many 
modern  productions  in  purity  of  lines,  and  surpass  nearly 
all  in  poetic  sentiment.  On  the  first  coins  no  earthly 
potentate  was  allowed  to  be  pictured,  no  deed  of  heroism 
portrayed.  The  glory  of  the  gods  was  considered  by  the 
pious  Greeks  to  be  the  only  appropriate  theme  for  impres- 
sion on  the  surface  of  bronze,  silver,  and  gold.  The  coins 
of  the  republic  embrace  a  large  variety,  as  a  thousand  towns 
were  allowed  the  privilege  of  coinage.  Upon  this  varied 
issue  are  preserved,  as  upon  imperishable  tablets,  nearly  all 
the  legends  and  attributes  of  Greek  mythology.  In  a  word, 
Greek  coinage  is  the  manual  of  Greek  mythology.  Upon 
the  coins  are  the  heads  of  Jupiter,  Juno,  Minerva,  Bacchus, 
Apollo,  and  Diana,  with  many  sacred  animals,  and  the  work 
is  to-day  the  standard  of  artistic  perfection.  Of  course, 
the  collection  of  this  ancient  period  cannot  be  extensive. 
In  this  case  there  are,  however,  more  than  one  hundred 
and  fifty  specimens,  and  these  present  a  study  so  attractive 
and  so  intense  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  imagine  what 
classic  poetry  would  be  without  it. 

Nos.  4,  5,  6  are  silver  coins  of  JEgina,  which  have  on 
the  obverse,  for  a  device,  the  tortoise,  emblematic  of  the 
security  of  the  island  amid  the  waves,  and  the  protection 
of  the  gods  of  the  sea.  On  the  reverse  are  the  marks  of 
the  punches  only,  probably  denoting  the  value  of  the  coins. 
These  are  claimed  to  belong  to  an  era  seven  hundred  years 
before  Christ.  No.  28  is  a  silver  coin  of  Athens,  with  a 
head  of  Minerva  splendidly  drawn  upon  the  obverse,  while 
the  reverse  presents  a  large  owl,  the  bird  sacred  to  the  god- 
dess of  wisdom.  The  devices  upon  this  coin  indicate  its 
age  to  be  from  twenty-one  to  twenty-three  centuries.  The 
Greek  proverb  of  "taking  owls  to  Athens"  referred  to 
this  coin,  which  was  necessarily  of  great  importance  to  the 
tradespeople  of  that  city. 


37 

Nos.  97,  98,  99,  "  Massilia,"  are  interesting  as  belonging 
to  a  Greek  colony  which  settled  about  six  hundred  years 
before  Christ  upon  the  coast  of  Gaul,  on  the  spot  now  known 
as  Marseilles.  This  little  colony  fled  their  native  country 
and  the  rule  of  a  governor  placed  over  it  by  a  Persian 
monarch.  They  were  distinguished  for  their  civilization, 
and  the  work  upon  these  small  coins  is  the  most  palpable 
witness  of  that  fact  in  existence  to-day.  No  rude  people 
ever  yet  left  such  evidences  of  culture,  and  abundant  assur- 
ance of  Greek  refinement  upon  the  Gallic  character  is  trace- 
able to  this  association,  and  has  been  perceptible  through 
the  centuries.  Turning  to  the  case  labeled 

GREEK   MONARCHIES, 

the  student  realizes  a  complete  revolution  in  sentiment — a 
change  from  peace  to  war.  The  surfaces,  of  gold,  silver, 
and  bronze,  bristle  with  lance  and  spear,  helmet  and  shield. 
Earthly  heroes  succeed  and  displace,  in  the  annals  of  art, 
all  the  gods;  and  on  one  of  these  coins  even  Jove,  seated 
and  bearing  an  eagle,  appears  to  be  in  attendance  upon  the 
heaven-defying  Alexander  of  Macedon,  while  on  the  ob- 
verse the  same  mighty  conqueror  impersonates  Hercules. 
The  oldest  coin  here  is  supposed  to  date  back  to  550  B.C. 
It  is  well  to  mention  the  fact  here  that  coins  were  never 
dated  until  the  fifteenth  century ;  and  previous  to  that  time 
the  ages  of  coins  can  only  be  determined  by  the  legends 
upon  them,  as  answering  to  the  page  of  corroborative 
history  and  the  art  era  to  which  they  belonged.  To  attest 
the  truths  of  these  data,  the  utmost  diligence  of  the  anti- 
quarian has  been  devoted.  No.  9  bears  on  the  obverse  the 
Macedonian  horse,  a  favorite  animal,  which  the  then  war- 
loving  Greeks  are  said  to  have  deified.  At  this  period  the 
haughty  royal  families  began  to  chronicle  in  coin  their  line 
of  descent.  The  kings  of  Macedon  claimed  Hercules  for 
an  ancestor,  and  in  proof  thereof  the  lion's  skin  was  a  royal 

4 


38 

insignia.  An  old  historian  says,  "  The  kings  of  Macedon, 
instead  of  the  crown,  the  diadem,  the  purple,  bear  upon 
their  effigy  the  skin  of  a  lion.  More  honorable  to  them  is 
this  than  to  be  decked  with  pearls  and  precious  stones." 
Several  pieces  of  money  in  this  case,  upon  which  are  heads 
of  Alexander,  have  rings  in  them,  and  were  worn  by  gracious 
dames  as  ornaments.  This,  it  may  be  presumed,  was  a  great 
favor.  The  value  of  this  series  of  coins  is  priceless,  as  fur- 
nishing portraits  of  the  heroes  of  that  period  which  can  be 
received  without  question  as  accurate,  for  the  art  patronage 
of  the  kingdom  was  regulated  by  the  strictest  laws.  Alex- 
ander was  especially  jealous  of  how  the  future  nations  should 
regard  his  physique,  allowing  only  three  artists  during  his 
reign  the  privilege  of  drawing,  painting,  or  modeling  his 
head.*  To  such  royal  guardianship  may  be  attributed  the 
perfection  to  which  Greek  art  attained  ;  and  it  may  well  be 
a  matter  of  regret  that  the  same  firmness  in  this  regard  was 
not  universal.  The  last  coin  of  this  series  is  a  small  bronze 
coin,  and  was  issued  by  Perseus,  the  last  king  of  Macedon. 

PERSIAN. 

In  this  case  is  a  collection  of  Persian  coins,  very  choice, 
and  of  no  mean  workmanship,  and,  of  course,  portraying 
the  faith  and  rites  of  the  fire-worshipers.  One  era  is  dis- 
tinctly Greek  in  style,  and  marks  the  period  of  Greek 
supremacy.  The  oldest  gold  coin  known  to  the  collector 
is  the  golden  Daric  of  King  Darius,  with  the  head  of  the 
king  in  bold  relief;  and  all  Persian  coins  are  so  called,  in 
remembrance  of  this  monarch.  Their  money  was  very 
fine,  so  the  word  Daric  has  become  incorporated  into  nu- 
mismatic terminology  to  designate  any  pure  gold  coin. 

*  Horace  says  that  Alexander  the  Great  ordained  that  no  one  should 
take  his  portrait  on  gems  but  Pyrgoteles ;  no  one  should  paint  him  but 
Apelles ;  and  no  one  should  stamp  his  head  on  coins  but  Lysippus. — 
American  Bibliopolist. 


39 

Nos.  58  to  67  inclusive,  of  this  series,  are  silver  coins  of  the 
Sassanian  kings.  Numismatists  have  given  to  the  legends 
of  these  coins  most  profound  study,  hoping  to  penetrate 
farther  into  the  mysteries  of  fire-worship.  Some  of  them 
are  creditable  in  workmanship,  but  as  they  fluctuate  in  that 
regard,  so  has  history  recorded  the  increase  or  diminution 
of  culture  and  intelligence  among  the  people. 


EGYPT 

is  also  represented  in  this  case,  as  is  proper,  for  that  nation 
had  no  coinage  until  it  was  taught  the  art  when  conquered 
by  Alexander.  Here  are  some  very  attractive  data  of 
Egyptian  history,  and  from  these  coins  are  obtained  the 
only  portraits  of  Arsinoe,  Cleopatra,  and  others. 

THE   SYRIAN   COINS 

are  also  embraced  in  the  division  called  "  Greek  mon- 
archies," and  in  them  are  found  many  coins  not  only  im- 
portant in  history,  but  of  the  very  finest  Greek  art,  from 
the  third  to  the  first  century  B.C.  In  this  period  the  Syriac 
and  Hebrew  coins  become  intermingled,  a  fact  abundantly 
sustained  by  the  Jewish  shekel  of  Simon  Maccabees.  The 
legend  of  this  interesting  relic  is  in  the  language  of  Sama- 
ria;  on  one  side  the  budding  rod  of  Aaron,  legend,  "Je- 
rusalem the  Holy  ;"  on  the  other,  a  cup  of  incense  or  pot 
of  manna,  and  the  inscription,  "  Shekel  of  Israel."  This 
shekel  is  well  preserved,  and  is  one  of  the  most  prized 
coins  known.  (See  Case  XV.,  marked  "Selections.")  In 
this  collection  are  some  coins  from  Bactria,  considered 
priceless  by  savans.  These  are  trophies  of  recent  British 
explorations,  and  are  judged  to  be  of  sufficient  importance 
to  call  forth  from  an  English  professor  an  extended  treatise 
on  the  "Antiquities  and  Coins  of  Afghanistan."  They 
are  exceedingly  rude  in  workmanship,  and  nearly  all  of 


40 

baser  metal,  the  most  important  being  a  small,  square,  brass 
coin,  in  the  case  marked  "  Selections." 

ROMAN    COINS. 

A  feeling  not  removed  from  awe  may  result  from  a  study 
of  the  coins  recognized  as  Roman,  embracing,  as  they  do, 
the  "  Rise  and  Fall"  of  that  grandest  of  empires,  and  cov- 
ering a  period  of  twenty-two  centuries.  The  collection  of 
Roman  coins  in  this  Cabinet  numbers  nearly  one  thousand, 
and  an  acquaintance  with  it  is  invaluable  for  object-teach- 
ing, as  in  it  is  the  condensed  history,  not  only  of  the  glory 
of  Rome, — "  the  nameless  city,"  "  Mistress  of  the  world," 
— but  of  her  customs,  her  policies,  her  faith,  her  conquests, 
her  tyrannies,  her  wealth,  her  culture,  in  a  word,  her  grand, 
triumphant  self  j  not  only  this,  but  her  divisions,  her  rebel- 
lions, her  downfall,  until  she  lies  scattered  and  separated, 
as  though  a  daring  hand  had  dashed  a  handful  of  her  repre- 
sentative coins  to  the  ground.  Here  is  the  grandest,  sad- 
dest page  of  history ;  food  for  the  moralist,  the  philoso- 
pher, the  scientist,  the  artist,  the  poet.  None  can  enter 
upon  this  suggestive  field  of  investigation  and  leave  it  un- 
impressed. It  would  be  the  work  of  a  lifetime  to  decipher 
their  record,  which  has  given,  and  is  now  giving,  hours  of 
labor  to  the  patient  searcher  after  truth.  Through  this 
entire  section  of  time — one-third  of  the  known  history  of 
the  world — Roman  art,  though  high,  never  reached  the 
exalted  purity  of  Greek  lines.  In  their  finest  coins  we  see 
no  Phidias,  no  Myron,  no  Praxiteles,  but  they  deteriorate 
and  fluctuate  visibly  when  in  or  out  of  contact  with  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Grecian  mind.  Here  also  are  many  data 
and  much  suggestiveness  to  the  lover  of  the  antique.  It  is 
impossible  to  more  than  refer  to  the  different  cases,  which 
are  arranged  in  chronological  order,  each  designating  an 
era.  First  are  the  coins  of  the  Republic,  known  as 


FAMILY   COINS. 

These  comprise  about  one  hundred  and  seventy-five, 
of  which  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  are  in  the  collec- 
tion. They  were  struck  to  record  the  heroic  deeds  which 
first  introduced  any  notable  ancestor  to  fame,  and  hence 
are  to-day  family  charts  of  respectability  for  many  of  the 
patricians  of  Rome,  albeit  some  of  them  have  plebeian 
roots.  Be  that  as  it  may,  they  are  as  much  the  trusted 
patents  of  aristocracy  as  is  the  "  Book  of  the  Peerage"  of 
England.  Here  are  found  the  same  distinctions  between 
patrician  and  plebeian  which  mark  all  countries,  the  patri- 
cians being  always  designated  by  a  symbol  of  warfare, 
while  the  plebeians  were  indicated  by  the  tools  and  instru- 
ments of  common  trade.  The  more  noticeable  of  the 
coins  are  as  follows:  No.  16,  Acilia;  the  reverse  a  female 
leaning  against  a  pillar,  with  a  serpent  clutched  in  her 
right  hand,  indicating  the  wisdom  or  courage  of  some 
ancestor.  No.  20,  ^Emilia;  on  the  obverse  of  this  cu- 
rious coin  is  a  figure  kneeling  by  the  side  of  a  camel, 
presenting  an  olive  branch,  from  which  depends  a  fillet  or 
ancient  diadem ;  on  the  reverse,  a  figure  guiding  a  tri- 
umphal chariot,  a  scorpion  in  the  field.  Josephus  tells  us 
of  an  invasion  of  Arabia,  and  that  Aretus,  the  king  of  the 
country,  purchased  peace  of  the  Romans  for  five  hundred 
talents.  The  diadem  hanging  from  the  olive  branch 
chronicles  the  entire  humiliation  of  Aretus,  and  the  scor- 
pion doubtless  indicates  the  month  of  the  Roman  triumph. 
No.  30,  Aquillia,  a  small  silver  coin  ;  the  reverse  shows  a 
woman  kneeling  before  a  soldier.  The  motto  below  the 
figures  (or  in  the  exergue  of  the  coin,  as  is  the  art  term)  is 
"  Sicil."  This  commemorates  the  suppression  of  a  revolt 
of  slaves  in  Sicily,  which  was  achieved  by  Manlius  Aquillia. 
No.  41,  Calpurnia,  the  family  of  Caesar's  noble  wife;  re- 
verse, a  horseman  riding  at  full  speed,  a  head  of  wheat  above 

4* 


42 

him;  legend,  L.  Piso-Trugi.  The  coin  recalls  the  fact 
that  in  the  year  507  B.C.  there  was  a  famine  in  Rome,  and 
Calpurnius  Piso  was  dispatched  to  Africa  to  buy  corn.  This 
seemingly  small  service  is  magnified  upon  a  large  number 
of  coins.  Nos.  95  and  96,  Hostilia,  a  coin  with  a  sacrifice 
to  Pallor 'and  jPazw(fear  and  trembling),  offered  by  Tullus 
Hostilius  in  some  great  emergency.  No.  97,  Julia;  ob- 
verse, a  helmeted  head ;  legend,  Caesar  ;  reverse,  a  warrior 
in  a  chariot  drawn  by  two. 

No.  98,  Juniu ;  obverse,  head  of  Liberty ;  reverse,  Junius 
Brutus  guarded  by  lictors,  and  preceded  by  a  herald,  show- 
ing that  an  ancestor  of  Junius  Brutus  was  the  first  consul 
of  Rome.  Nos.  181,  182,  Tituria.  The  reverse  shows  two 
soldiers  throwing  their  shields  upon  a  prostrate  female, 
illustrating  the  famous  story  of  the  "  Tarpeian  rock."  Re- 
verse represents  the  Romans  carrying  off  Sabine  women — a 
witness  in  coin  of  the  fact  that  the  family  of  Tituria  trace 
their  ancestry  from  the  Sabines.  To  do  justice  to  this  case 
is  impossible,  for  here  are  coins  relating  to  the  ancestors  of 
Antonia,  Aurelia,  Cornelia,  Fulvia,  Horatio,  Lucretia,  Lu- 
cilla,  Sempronia,  Titia  Valeria,  and  many  others  familiar 
to  the  readers  of  history. 

This  era  of  coins  terminated  about  the  time  of  the  birth 
of  Christ,  when  the 

IMPERIAL   COINS 

were  introduced.  In  noticing  these,  little  save  the  labels 
on  the  case  can  be  given. 

Division  II. 

Julius  Caesar  to  Trajan,  inclusive.  Beginning  49  B.C., 
and  ending  117  A.D.  A  simple  catalogue  of  the  illustri- 
ous names  on  these  coins  would  convey  an  idea  of  their 
importance.  All  the  victories  of  Caesar  are  marked  by 
coinage  ;  but  out  of  the  two  hundred  belonging  to  this  case 


43 

reference  need  only  be  made  to  No.  24,  a  beautiful  gold 
coin,  with  the  undraped  head  of  Augustus,  exquisitely 
severe,  the  interest  attaching  chiefly  to  the  legend,  "The 
Son  of  God,"  referring  to  the  deification  of  Caesar. 

Division  III. 

embraces  from  Hadrian  to  Elagabalus,  117-222.  In  the 
reign  of  Hadrian  much  coin  was  issued,  though  it  did  not 
bear  marks  of  the  disasters  and  revolts  that  signalized  the 
foregoing.  That  he  was  a  merciful  ruler  is  indicated  by 
the  coins,  especially  one — Hispania ;  the  reverse  showing 
the  emperor  raising  Spain — a  female  figure — from  the 
ground.  His  travels  are  also  illustrated  in  coin. 

Division  IV. 

From  Severus  Alexander  to  Claudius  Gothicus,  222-270. 
These  coins  indicate  the  vicious  effect  of  the  rulers  imme- 
diately preceding. 

Division  V. 

From  Aurelian  to  the  end  of  the  Western  Empire ;  in- 
cludes 270-475.  A  brilliant  succession;  Aurelian's  busy 
reign,  ending  in  assassination;  the  war-like  Probus,  the 
slave-emperor ;  Diocletian's  despotism  and  vindictive  per- 
secution of  Christians ;  the  usurpation  of  Carausius ;  the 
happy  reign  of  Constantine  the  Great,  Julian,  Theodosius, 
down  to  Julius  Nepos.  These  are  a  few  of  the  historic 
names  and  events  presented  in  this  division. 

Division  VI. 

covers  the  period  of  the  Byzantine  or  Eastern  Empire,  and 
a  lapse  of  eight  centuries;  but  the  coinage  is  not  comparable 
with  that  of  other  eras,  nor  were  events  of  so  stirring  and 
heroic  a  character.  A  general  decay,  painful  to  contem- 
plate, marked  this  long  lapse  of  time,  which  began  near 
the  acceptance  of  Christianity,  and  extended  through  the 
dark  ages. 


44 


"THE  TEMPLE  SWEEPERS." 

A  small  case  attracts  no  little  attention  in  the  Cabinet, 
because  it  contains  a  single  coin  ;  and  the  interest  does  not 
decrease  when  the  inscription  is  read:  "Struck  in  the 
Philadelphia  Mint  at  least  two  thousand  years  ago."  One 
of  the  learned  professors  of  the  Philadelphia  Mint,  United 
States,  under  title  of  "The  Temple  Sweepers,"  wrote  not 
long  since  a  humorous  sketch  of  this  coin,  made  in  the  city 
of  Attalus  Philadelphus,  Asia  Minor,  and  for  which  Wm. 
Penn  called  his  city,  because  the  ancient  one  was  a  monu- 
ment of  "brotherly  love."  Diana  was  the  patroness  of 
Philadelphia. 

"  On  one  side,  then,  we  have  a  head  ;  not  a  king's  nor 
an  emperor's;  as  yet  the  free  city  had  a  pride  and  a  privi- 
lege above  that.  It  is  a  female  head,  an  ideal,  representing 
the  city  itself;  or  rather  the  dwellers  in  it,  the  Demos. 
Here  in  this  head  and  title,  we  have  the  radix  of  that 
Democracy  of  which  we  hear  so  much.  Every  Democrat, 
and  equally  every  Republican,  may  learn  from  a  coin 
like  this  that  his  political  theory  existed  many  centuries 
ago,  even  in  Asia,  with  all  the  surroundings  of  despotism 
against  it.  Here  my  subject  has  a  hold  upon  all  Ameri- 
cans. Like  the  ancient  republics,  we  disdain  to  plant  any 
man's  portrait  on  our  coins.  It  must  be  a  woman's;  and 
she  must  represent,  not  any  particular  person,  nor  woman- 
hood in  general,  but  the  whole  body  of  the  people  and 
their  franchises. 

"This  is  all  we  can  gather  from  the  obverse.  On  the 
other  side  we  have  a  larger  variety:  a  running  female 
figure ;  a  dog  also  on  the  trot ;  a  legend  of  some  length 
and  of  more  significance.  Let  us  spread  them  a  little. 

"The  half-clad  figure  is  that  of  the  goddess  known  to 
the  Greeks  as  Artemis,  to  the  Latins  as  Diana;  and 
otherwise  called  Selene,  Phcebe,  Delia,  or  Cynthia,  names 


45 

still  borne  by  many  of  our  girls,  both  in  fact  and  in  fic- 
tion. 

"She  was  the  favorite  tutelar  divinity  of  the  cities  of 
Asia  Minor,  as  we  shall  see  from  the  inscription ;  they 
loved  her  and  she  loved  them.  It  was  rather  creditable  to 
them  to  make  so  good  a  selection  from  the  crowd.  She 
was  the  patroness  of  chastity  and  purity,  a  proof  that  they 
held  such  virtues  in  regard.  She  was  also  the  head  of  the 
department  of  hunting, — 

"  Hark !  the  goddess  Diana  calls  out,  '  To  the  chase !' 

and  let  it  be  observed,  this  was  not  the  mean  chase  of 
timid,  harmless  deer  and  rabbits,  but  the  bold  extermina- 
tion of  wolves,  wild  boars,  and  jackals,  a  mission  not  less 
benevolent  than  that  of  the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Animals." 

The  legend  on  the  obverse  of  this  coin  explains  its 
name :  "  Friend  of  Philadelphia's  [her]  Temple  Sweepers." 

ORIENTAL. 

At  the  risk  of  giving  offense  to  coin  collectors,  it  may 
be  said  that  Oriental  coins  are  not  as  attractive  as  other 
varieties,  though  there  are  special  coins  among  them  which 
have  no  rival  in  historic  importance.  Antique  coins  from 
the  East  were  usually  without  device,  and,  their  legends  be- 
ing rudely  inscribed  in  a  dead  language,  proved  frequently 
to  be  sealed  fountains  to  the  thirsting  antiquarian.  There- 
fore in  cases  marked  "Oriental"  the  visitor  is  undeter- 
mined where  to  begin  to  study,  and  often  decides  to  give 
it  but  little  time. 

Those  having  for  device  the  sacred  peacock  are  from 
Burmah  ;  there  is,  however,  in  the  division  marked  "  Selec- 
tions" a  very  curious  coin  belonging  to  that  country,  which 
certainly  formed  a  part  of  its  earliest  currency.  It  is  a 
common  gravel -stone,  encased  in  a  circling  band  of  brass. 


S1AM. 


The  coins  of  Siam  are  quite  individual,  and  the  old  ones 
very  much  sought.  Some  of  them,  known  to  European 
travelers  as  "bullet  money,"  are  lumps  of  gold  or  silver, 
hammered  by  rude  implements  into  a  doubtful  roundness, 
and  a  few  Siamese  characters  stamped  irregularly  upon 
them.  The  sacred  elephant  is  found  on  a  large  proportion 
of  their  money.  A  Siamese  coin  in  the  Cabinet,  of  modern 
date,  is  quite  handsome  in  both  workmanship  and  design. 
On  the  obverse  is  the  sacred  elephant  in  ponderous  propor- 
tion, which  delights  the  eyes  of  the  devout,  and  the  re- 
verse presents  a  group  of  three  pagodas,  finely  drawn.  In 
the  case  marked  "  Selections"  is  a  Siamese  coin  of  gold, 
comparatively  modern,  called  "Tecal,"  corresponding  in 
some  respects  to  the  "Shekel,"  or  "Oxen,"  of  biblical 
fame.  The  Hebrew,  or  rather  the  coins  of  Judea,  as  they 
are  best  known  by  that  appellation,  are  scattered  among 
other  nations,  and  are  now  a  most  suggestive  national  type. 
From  time  to  time  one  is  met  in  the  archaeological  treasures 
of  the  countries  which  centuries  before  Christ  had  con- 
quered this  "peculiar  people." 

CHINESE. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  first  section  is  a  case  of  seven 
hundred  coins  of  the  Celestial  Empire,  all  classed  and 
labeled  by  a  Chinese  scholar.  With  but  few  exceptions 
these  coins  are  bronzed.  Dynasty  succeeds  dynasty  ;  usur- 
pation, insurrection,  are  all  writ  in  bronze.  The  Chinese 
assert  an  uninterrupted  coinage  for  forty-one  centuries. 
The  manuscript  attesting  this  is  in  the  case,  and  was  pre- 
pared under  authority.  Large  numbers  of  their  coins  were 
considered  charms,  sufficient  to  protect  the  owner  against 
fever,  or  even  the  more  dreaded  horrors  of  spiritual  men- 
ace. In  this  connection  it  may  be  said  that  the  Chinese 


47 

had  an  exalted  reverence  for  the  coin-charm,  and  a  small 
coin  was  often  placed  in  the  mouth  of  the  dead  (now,  if  a 
Chinaman  dies  in  California,  a  small  silver  United  States 
coin  is  placed  on  his  tongue).  These  coins  were  covered 
with  cabalistic  characters,  symbolic  animals,  birds,  etc. 
Two  worthy  of  notice  in  this  regard,  and  said  to  be  of  the 
oldest  issue,  are  Nos.  i  and  2.  The  first  might  be  mistaken 
for  an  iron  safe-key;  the  second  is  known  as  the  "razor 
coin,"  its  form  and  almost  its  size  being  that  of  a  razor. 

In  another  case,  appropriately  labeled,  is  the  Chinese 
"  porcelain  money."  They  are  the  only  people  who  have 
made  porcelain  a  "  legal  tender,"  though  it  would  appear 
that  almost  every  part  of  the  three  kingdoms  of  nature 
has  been  laid  under  contribution.  The  specimen  here 
may  be  mistaken  for  the  popular  Chinese  sleeve-button, 
bought  in  any  bazaar  for  a  few  cents.  The  Chinese,  as 
did  also  the  Africans,  utilized  the  small  sea-shells  for  trade. 
In  the  same  case  are  some  of  the  variety  legalized.  Ten 
small  shells  made  one  "cash."  This  is  a  small,  round, 
copper-bronzed  coin,  with  a  square  hole  in  the  centre. 
The  Chinese  dames  of  high  degree  wore  such  strung  around 
their  throats,  which  will  not  call  forth  much  envy  when  it 
is  known  that  one  thousand  are  equal  to  our  dollar.  The 
Japanese,  however,  oiitcount  their  neighbors,  as  they  have 
a  bronze  coin  called  the  "  One-hundredth,"  of  which  just 
seven  thousand  make  one  Spanish  dollar. 

Shell  money  of  pure  gold,  "  or  gold  beaten  into  small  solid 
shells,  was  made  by  those  natives  who  supplied  the  Portu- 
guese slave-traders  with  slaves,"  and  was  called  by  the 
traders  "  Spondylus  Macutus,"  from  which,  some  contend, 
came  the  slangy  term  "  spondulics."  Forty  of  those  small 
coins,  each  worth  about  a  dollar  of  Spanish  money,  made 
a  high  price  for  a  slave. 

There  is  also  in  the  Cabinet  a  valuable  collection  of 
African  ring  money,  such  as  was  worn  for  ornaments,  of 


48 

the  variety  the  Israelites  were  instructed  to  "  spoil"  their 
Egyptian  oppressors.  These  ornaments  are  very  massive 
and  pure,  comprised  of  elaborately  carved  "signet-rings, 
armlets,  anklets,"  etc.  One  article,  more  novel  and  valu- 
able than  the  others,  is  a  pipe  of  fine  gold,  bowl  and 
handle  of  curious  bas-relief  figures,  and  a  heavy,  square- 
linked  chain  attaching  a  large  medallion,  on  which  is  the 
head  of  a  monarch  boldly  drawn. 

To  return  to  the  Chinese,  their  government,  like  all  des- 
potisms, is  very  jealous  of  its  coining  prerogatives;  yet  it 
does  not  fail  to  appreciate  an  advantage  when  offered,  as  is 
evident  by  the,  to  us,  following  quaint  mandate : 

' '  Proclamation. 

"  Jui,  Grand  Secretary  of  the  Weii  hua  tien,  President  of 
the  Board  of  War,  and  Governor-General  of  the  Two 
Kuang  Provinces : 

"  Chang,  Vice-President  of  the  Board  of  War,  and  Gov- 
ernor of  Kwang  Tung : 

"Weii,  Superintendent  of  Customs  for  the  Canton  Pro- 
vinces, 

Issue  a  Proclamation  for  general  information  : 
"  WHEREAS,  The  foreign  silver  (coin)  in  daily  use  among 
the  people  of  the  Kwang  Tung  Provinces  has  long  been  in 
circulation,  and  is  moreover  admitted  to  be  advantageous 
and  convenient.  In  the  5th  and  nth  years  of  Tung 
Chih  (1866  and  1872)  the  Hongkong  Mint  coined  a  new 
Dollar  which,  upon  comparison  with  pure  silver,  bore  a 
proportion  of  fully  ninety  per  cent.,  and  as  the  Records 
will  prove.  Proclamations  were  issued  notifying  the  peo- 
ple that  it  might  come  into  general  circulation.  There  has 
lately  come  to  Hongkong  a  newly-coined  American  Eagle 
Dollar,  called  the  '  Trade  Dollar,'  and  Sir  Brooke  Robert- 
son, the  British  Consul,  having  requested  that  officers  might 
be  appointed  to  assay  it,  the  Viceroy  and  Haikwan  there- 


49 

upon  appointed  officers  to  melt  it  down  and  assay  it,  in 
concert  with  (an  officer  from  the  British  Consulate),  when, 
taking  the  Haikwan  Tael  of  pure  silver  as  the  standard,  an 
outturn  was  obtained  of  fully  89.61 — or  Taels  111.6  of 
this  new  Eagle  Dollar  are  equal  to  100  Haikwan  Taels  of 
pure  silver.  Minutes  of  the  assay  were  drawn  up  in  proof 
thereof. 

"  For  the  convenience  of  Traders  and  people,  therefore, 
this  coin  should  be  allowed  to  be  tendered  in  payment  of 
duties  at  the  rate  of  touch  obtained  at  the  assay,  and  to 
come  into  daily  circulation.  It  becomes  the  duty  then  of 
the  Viceroy  and  his  colleagues  to  issue  a  Proclamation  on 
the  subject  for  general  information. 

"  This  Proclamation,  therefore,  is  for  the  information  of 
you  merchants,  traders,  soldiers,  and  people  of  every  dis- 
trict. You  must  know  that  the  '  Eagle  Trade  Dollar' 
that  has  lately  come  to  Hongkong  has  been  jointly  assayed 
by  officers  specially  appointed  for  the  purpose,  and  it  can 
be  taken  in  payment  of  duties,  and  come  into  general  cir- 
culation. You  must  not  look  upon  it  with  suspicion.  At 
the  same  time  rogues,  sharpers  and  the  like,  are  hereby 
strictly  forbidden  to  fabricate  spurious  imitations  of  this 
new  Eagle  Dollar,  with  a  view  to  their  own  profit. 

"  And  should  they  dare  to  set  this  prohibition  at  defi- 
ance, and  fabricate  false  coin,  they  shall,  upon  discovery, 
most  assuredly  be  arrested  and  punished.  Let  every  one 
obey  with  trembling  !  Let  there  be  no  disobedience ! 

"A  Special  Proclamation.  Tung  Chih  i2th  year,  pth 
moon — day  (October,  1873) 

"  Translated  by 

"[SIGNED]         WALTER  C.  HILLIER." 

The  need  of  the  Trade  Dollar  as  the  medium  for  finding 
a  market  for  our  superabundance  of  silver  was  apparent  to 
Dr.  Linderman,  also  the  demand  for  a  coin  which  might 
r  5 


5° 

serve  the  same  purpose  as  the  Mexican  dollar,  so  long 
used  by  American  merchants.  The  healthy  commercial 
relations  now  increasing  will  be  more  firmly  established 
through  the  introduction  of  this  coin,  which  those  nicest 
of  coin  collectors,  the  Chinese,  have  learned  to  respect. 
The  merchants  of  China,  by  long  practice,  have  a  "  sense 
of  touch"  infallible  in  coin.  Each  merchant  weighs  all 
coins  which  pass  into  his  hands,  and  leaves  upon  it  his 
trade-mark  with  a  small  punch.  After  these  defaced  coins 
get  back  .from  their  celestial  tour,  they  are  known  as 
"punched  dollars."  This  country  long  felt  the  need  of  a 
trade  coin,  and  to  the  Director  of  the  Mint  miy  be  justly 
attributed  its  policy  and  origin.  He  has  reason  to  con- 
gratulate the  country  upon  the  manner  in  which  the 
Orientals  have  received  this  coin,  whose  chief  enemy  now 
is  the  silversmith,  who,  seeing  it  is  good,  finds  a  tempta- 
tion in  its  fineness. 

JAPAN. 

Perhaps  the  peculiar  adaptability  of  the  Japanese  char- 
acter cannot  be  better  illustrated  than  by  their  late  mone- 
tary revolution,  especially  as  their  coinage  is  hedged 
around  with  laws,  with  penal  attachments  of  no  doubtful 
character.  In  the  small  morocco  case  marked  "Japan" 
are  a  few  specimens  of  their  original  coin.  Of  this  series 
the  large  gold  plate,  four  inches  by  three  and  a  half,  is 
known  as  the  "  Gold  Oban,"  their  most  valuable  coin, 
worth  about  seventy-five  dollars.  This  coin  is  of  perfectly 
smooth  surface,  with  an  elaborate  black  inscription  of 
Japanese  text,  burnt  in  by  a  chemical  process.  To  take  the 
"  Gold  Oban"  out  of  the  kingdom  is  punishable  with 
death;  to  remove  it  by  mistake,  subjects  the  offender  to 
imprisonment  for  life.  The  other  coins  in  this  case  are, 
in  their  composition,  shape,  and  the  laws  which  govern 
them,  as  distinctive  as  the  Japanese  are  peculiar  as  a  peo- 
ple. The  progressive  character  of  the  Japanese  is  a  reality 


which  the  so-called  civilized  world  is  beginning  to  appre- 
ciate, of  which  the  most  conclusive  evidence  yet  manifest 
not  only  of  that,  but  of  the  inherent  strength  of  their  laws, 
is  their  recent  acceptance  of  the  United  States  system  of 
coinage.  They  pronounced  it  an  improvement  upon  their 
own,  and  though  to  honor  and  protect  that  had  been  the 
education  of  centuries,  they  dismissed  it,  and  the  revolu- 
tion was  effected  without  an  outward  struggle  by  the  gentle- 
mannered  Orientals. 

TURKEY. 

Neither  space,  nor  the  interest  attached  to  the  Ottoman 
Empire,  justifies  more  than  a  paragraph  in  comparison  with 
other  series.  Turkish  coins  often  bear  texts  from  the 
Koran  on  either  side,  so  it  may  be  said  the  tenets  of  their 
religion  are  their  circulating  medium  ;  therefore  when  a  fol- 
lower of  Mahomet  holds  in  his  hand  a  confession  of  his 
faith,  he  feels  the  more  justified  in  cheating  the  "  Christian 
dog."  The  piastres  in  this  collection  are  generally  those 
now  in  circulation. 

EGYPT. 

With  the  character  of  the  coins  of  modern  Egypt,  by 
reason  of  Eastern  travel  and  all  that  has  been  written  about 
it,  the  people  are  generally  familiar,  and  every  one  who 
has  been  to  Egypt,  "the  oldest  nation  in  the  world"  (if 
its  own  tablets  be  accepted),  brings  back  a  handful  of 
"  piastres." 

Egypt's  antique  coins  were  of  Greek  or  Roman  workman- 
ship, of  which  the  very  finest  is  in  the  case  marked  "  Selec- 
tions," and  has  not  its  superior  for  interest  or  beauty  in  the 
world.  It  was  the  work  of  some  Greek  artist,  and  presents 
the  head  of  Arsinoe,  wife  of  Ptolemy.  It  was  found  in 
1868,  and  bought  by  the  United  States  Government  at  a 
high  price;  but  as  only  three  have  been  found,  its  market 
value  may  be  named  by  thousands,  though  its  metal  value  is 
not  more  than  twenty  dollars. 


52 

This  hurried  notice  of  Oriental  coins  may  conclude  with 
suggestive  reference  to  the  "  Cufic  coins,"  of  which  there 
are  some  valuable  specimens.  The  first  is  the  silver  dirhem 
of  Walid,  the  eccentric  caliph  of  Damascus,  A.D.  713. 
There  is  also  in  Case  XV.  a  coin  of  the  reign  of  Haroun 
Alraschid,  which  will  attract  every  school-boy's  attention, 
who  is  permitted  to  suppose  this  very  coin  may  have  been 
in  the  treasure-jars  of  the  "  Forty  Thieves." 

MODERN. 

To  the  French  may  be  conceded  the  credit  of  the  great 
est  discoveries  and  the  finest  suggestions  in  modern  coinage. 
In  the  division  of  the  Cabinet  marked  "  French"  is  the 
ascriptitious  history  of  that  nation,  from  the  small  coin 
issued  in  the  reign  of  Louis  "the  Meek"  to  the  last  cur- 
rency of  the  republic  of  France,  spanning  a  period  of  one 
thousand  years.  This  lapse  of  time  is  a  kaleidoscopic  view 
of  the  tragedies  of  that  convulsive  land. 

In  design  and  execution  the  French  coins  bear  the  im- 
press of  the  national  character,  and  also  give  assurance  of 
the  art  patronage  in  which  her  rulers,  failing  in  much,  have 
never  wavered,  but  brought  all  their  power  and  cunning 
to  bear  on  securing  the  best  artists,  as  in  the  instance  of 
Francis  I.  beguiling  from  the  holy  father  that  exquisite  ar- 
tist Benvenuto  Cellini,  or  the  later  enterprise  of  Napoleon 
Bonaparte.  Pages  would  not  do  justice  to  this  memorial 
case,  and  reference  will  only  be  made  to  No.  83, — amedalet 
of  the  unhappy  Marie  Antoinette, — which  is  in  itself  very 
beautiful,  and  from  its  tragic  association  attracts  general 
interest. 

GERMANY. 

The  collection  of  Germany  is  complete,  but  so  divided 
and  subdivided  by  its  kingdoms  and  principalities  as  to 
present  entirely  too  complex  a  study  for  the  limits  of  this 


53 

pamphlet.  Every  department  is  perfectly  classed ;  there- 
fore, if  any  coin  collector  wishes  information  in  regard  to 
the  series  of  this  country,  they  may  be  seen  here  in  metal, 
like  a  "Byzantine  Prayer-book." 

One  of  the  most  interesting  coins  of  any  age,  and  excell- 
ing in  beauty  as  well,  is  the  gold  medallic  ducat  on  which 
are  the  heads  of  Martin  Luther  and  Philip  Melanchthon. 
This  coin  is  very  generally  admired  by  visitors  to  the  Cab- 
inet. In  Germany,  Austria,  Prussia,  the  same  class  of 
currency  is  presented  in  confusing  profusion,  sometimes 
scarcely  distinguishable  one  from  the  other,  unless  one  be 
versed  in  the  minor  points  of  national  emblems. 

SWITZERLAND. 

The  little  republic  of  Switzerland  is  modestly  represented 
in  all  her  cantons,  each,  like  the  classic  Greek  town,  enjoy- 
ing the  coining  privilege.  It  is  even  amusing,  bristling  as  this 
collection  is  with  asserted  and  maintained  independence; 
and,  while  smiling  at  her  individuality,  we  yet  rejoice  in  the 
spirit  evinced  by  the  diminutive  little  nation.  There  are 
several  pieces  of  commemorative  and  artistic  worth,  espe- 
cially the  two  issues  of  the  republic  of  1796. 

From  Switzerland  a  glance  at  modern  Italy  suggests  the 
thought  that  this  land  of  gifts  has  lost  neither  skill  nor 

love  of  the  beautiful. 

RUSSIA. 

Of  the  Russian  coins  several  very  fine  ones  invite  closer 
attention  than  a  passing  notice.  The  double  rouble,  with 
a  magnificent  draped  head  of  Peter  the  Great,  is  unexcelled 
for  strength  of  outline,  and  valuable  as  a  correct  portrait 
of  one  of  the  very  greatest  and  most  self-reliant  of  modern 
rulers.  Turning  to  another  rouble,  the  features  of  Eliz- 
abeth II.  are  recognized.  It  may  be  assumed,  with  all  due 
deference  to  royalty,  that  this  portrayal  is  the  most  laughter- 
provoking  figure  ever  drawn  on  metal.  She  is  so  absolutely 

5* 


54 

fat  as  to  have  the  effect  of  spreading  all  over  the  coin. 
Another  rouble  presents  the  majestic  Catherine  II.  in  all 
the  strength  so  characteristic  of  this  great  monarch. 

Of  the  coins  marked  Denmark,  Norway,  Sweden,  there 
can  be  only  the  copper  half-daler  of  Sweden  mentioned. 
This  coin  is  four  inches  square,  weighs  about  twelve  ounces, 
and  is  equivalent  to  a  United  States  silver  half-dollar.  The 
daler  of  Sweden,  thaler  of  Germany,  dollar  of  Spain  and 
America,  are  all  synonymous  terms. 

ENGLAND. 

The  only  mint  of  Great  Britain  is  near  the  Tower  of 
London,  but  it  is  about  to  be  removed  to  a  more  eligible 
location  in  that  city,  to  a  building  far  better  adapted  to 
the  use.  Perhaps  the  most  complete  mints  in  the  world 
at  this  time  are  those,  as  it  were,  located  at  the  corners  of 
the  earth — San  Francisco,  Melbourne,  and  Osaka.  They 
have  this  eminence,  because  they  are  new,  with  every 
advantage  of  modern  improvement. 

The  first  coins  of  Great  Britain  were  of  tin,  according 
to  Caesar's  authority,  who  mentions  the  "tin  money  of 
Britain,"  which  has  lately  been  sustained  by  the  discovery, 
in  some  work  of  excavation,  of  coins  of  that  metal  in  an- 
tique design.  These  coins  are,  however,  of  little  use,  by 
reason  of  the  obscure  inscription,  or  rather  the  frequent 
absence  of  all  device. 

The  English  collection  in  the  Cabinet  begins  with  a  coin 
made  after  the  stater  of  Greece,  presenting  the  head  of 
Minerva,  with  Greek  helmet  on  obverse,  while  the  reverse 
gives  the  figure  of  a  woman  most  crudely  drawn.  It  is 
supposed  this  rude  attempt  at  art  was  coined  about  the  time 
of  the  Roman  invasion.  Nothing  could  be  in  more  sug- 
gestive contrast,  or  more  truly  convey  an  idea  of  the  ad- 
vance of  civilization,  than  the  contrast  presented  in  placing 
this  relic  by  the  side  of  the  Victorian  sovereign,  where,  on 


55 

the  obverse,  is  the  queen's  head  superbly  cut ;  on  the  re- 
verse, Wyon's  inimitable  figure  of  Una  and  the  Lion.  Vol- 
umes have  been  written  upon  British  coinage,  but  these  two 
coins  are  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  while  the  thousands 
issued  between  them  are  progressive  links  to  civilization. 

Two  small  coins  are  placed  here,  thought  to  be  contem- 
porary with  the  Christian  era,  having  no  device,  but  an 
attempt  to  portray  the  sun  on  one  side.  No.  2  is  the 
skeattae  of  Ethelbert  I.,  king  of  Saxony,  and  is  the  first 
Saxon  coin  which  has  yet  been  appropriated.  It  bears 
upon  the  obverse  the  head  of  the  king ;  on  the  reverse  is 
the  figure  of  a  bird. 

Next  in  interest  is  No.  6,  the  penny  of  William  the  ( 
queror.     The  bust  of  that  famous  monarch  is  attempted ; 
1068  is  about  the  year  it  is  supposed  to  have  been  made 
During   the  three   centuries   following,   the  condition  of 
England,  whether  she  was  at  peace  or  war,  is  plainly  indi- 
cated by  her  coinage.     Every  added  province  is  memorial- 
ized in  coin.     The  rose,  thistle,  and  fleur-de-lis,  all  tell  m 
strange  language  for  flowers  of  bloody  battles,  long  sieges, 
perils  by  sea  and  land  ;  at  last  all  resistance  bowing  before 
the  ever-increasing  power  of  Great  Britain. 

The  first  coin  of  English  issue  was  dated  in  1553,  being 
either  the  close  of  Edward  VI.'s  or  the  beginning  of  Queen 
Mary's  reign.  This  is  claimed  by  many  to  be  the  first 
coin  dated,  though  old  medals  of  the  preceding  century 
have  been  found  with  date. 

In  1558,  the  ryal  or  royal  of  Queen  Elizabeth  was 
issued,  and  was  worthy  to  bear  the  name  of  the  great 
English  queen.  On  the  obverse  the  queen  is  grandly  en- 
throned, while  the  reverse  is  a  large  rose,  in  centre  of 
which  are  the  Danish  arms  of  Britain,  and  the  arms  of 
Anjou  quartered.  This  coin  and  the  pound  sterling  of 
Charles  I.  are  in  Case  XV.,  "Selections." 

This  pound  sterling  is  one  of  the  famous  "siege  pieces" 


56 

of  that  unhappy  king, — which  were  often  made  on  the  field 
with  hammer  and  anvil  out  of  the  family  plate  brought  to 
the  closely-pressed  Stuart  by  his  faithful  followers.  It  is  to 
be  regretted  that  so  much  valuable  family  plate  of  no  mean 
workmanship  was  thus  sacrificed.  This  "siege  piece"  is 
the  largest  silver  coin  known.  The  legend  upon  it,  rudely 
inscribed,  is,  "Let  God  arise;  let  his  enemies  be  scat- 
tered;" above  are  three  fleurs-de-lis,  with  date,  "  1642." 

In  1684-88,  during  the  short  reign  of  James  II.,  several 
varieties  of  new  coins  were  introduced,  notably,  "Maundy 
Money,"  a  small  coin  made  to  be  distributed  by  the 
king  on  "Maundy  Thursday."  Beggars,  on  that  day, 
received  from  his  majesty  bags  containing  as  many  maundy 
pieces  as  the  king  had  lived  years  ;  a  custom  which  sounds 
very  well,  but  the  sovereign  would  have  to  number  several 
centuries  to  make  it  worth  the  poor  mendicant's  exposure 
upon  the  street  trying  to  secure  royal  favor. 

King  James  II.  also  had  issued  "gun  money."  This 
variety  was  made  out  of  old  cannon,  after  the  suppression 
of  an  Irish  rebellion.  Though  not  even  giving  a  glance 
towards  the  interesting  series  of  Queen  Anne,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  pass  unnoticed  the  beautiful  bust  of  George  IV., 
by  Chantrey,  upon  a  pattern  five-sovereign  piece.  This 
well-executed  bust  of  "the  handsomest  man  in  Europe" 
was  said  to  be  the  means  of  Sir  Francis  Chantrey  being 
knighted.  That  vain  monarch  was  as  careful  about  how 
his  face  would  appear  to  future  generations  as  was  Alex- 
ander of  Macedon ;  and  Chantrey  well  knew  if  he  placed 
upon  the  shoulders  of  sixty  years  the  head  of  forty  years,  he 
had  given  the  cabalistic  words  which  would  be  the  "open 
sesame"  to  royal  favor. 

The  gold  sovereign  of  Victoria,  Nos.  183-184,  has,  on 
the  reverse,  an  evidence  of  coins  as  a  deposit  of  law 
archives.  The  shield  surrounded  by  a  crown,  and  bear- 
ing the  arms  of  Great  Britain  quartered  ;  but  the  arms  of 


57 

Hanover  are  omitted.  Although  Victoria  was  next  heir  to 
William  IV.,  she  was  prevented  by  the  Salic  law  from  as- 
suming the  sceptre  of  Hanover.  On  this  coin,  it  may  be 
remembered,  are  very  beautifully  presented  the  rose,  the 
thistle,  and  the  shamrock. 

Scotch  pennies,  or  Scotch  moneys  of  any  variety,  are  very 
much  prized  by  collectors  (see,  in  Case  XV.,  "  Selections," 
"Groat  of  Robert  Bruce,  1602").  A  very  rare  coin  is 
the  penny  of  Robert  II.  of  Scotland,  said  to  be  the  only 
specimen  in  existence  of  that  monarch's  reign.  In  the 
seventeenth  century  the  coinage  of  Scotland  merged  into 
that  of  England. 

In  this  collection  there  are  a  number  of  English  counter- 
feits, prized  because  they  are  so  well  executed.  Some  of 
these  give  evidence  of  having  been  extensively  circulated, 
almost  defying  detection. 

In  a  small,  separate  section  are  sixty-seven 

ENGLISH    SILVER   TOKENS, 

issued  in  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland.  "  During  the 
long  suspension  of  specie  payments,  occasioned  by  the 
wars  with  Napoleon,  the  minor  currency  of  England  was 
supplied,  not  with  small  paper  notes,  but  with  silver 
tokens,  issued  by  banks  and  traders,  and  made  redeemable 
in  bank  notes.  They  were  of  reduced  weight,  to  keep 
within  the  premium,  and  to  prevent  hoarding.  They  con- 
tinued to  circulate  until  the  return  of  better  times  and  of 
regular  silver  coinage.  There  were  many  varieties,  most 
of  which  are  here.  Some  of  them  were  issued  by  irrespon- 
sible parties,  and  were  never  redeemed.  The  whole  series 
is  extremely  curious,  as  a  matter  of  history ;  and  important, 
as  suggesting  what  might  be  done  here,  under  authority  of 
law,  and  with  some  improvements." — Dubois. 


c* 


PORTUGAL   AND   SPAIN. 

Returning  to  the  fifteenth  century,  the  coinage  of  Portu- 
gal and  Spain  held  greater  sway  than  that  of  other  countries. 
Of  their  coins,  there  are  many  fine  specimens  in  this  mu- 
seum. The  "joe  and  half-joe"  of  Portugal  are  known  of  all 
nations,  while  the  Spanish  dollar,  with  its  pretentious  two 
globes  under  a  crown,  did  not  claim  too  much,  and  only  tells 
the  almost  limitless  rule  of  the  great  Philip.  The  coins 
of  these  nations  became,  through  their  possessions  in  the 
New  World,  the  circulating  medium  of  that  portion  of  the 
earth.  Spanish  and  Mexican  dollars  were  almost  synony- 
mous, while  the  real  and  joe  of  South  America  was  pat- 
terned after  that  of  Portugal,  which  fact  can  be  learned 
in  this  Cabinet.  As  nations  decay  it  will  be  seen  their 
coins  become  inevitably  less  trustworthy  ;  even  a  glance  at 
the  cases  marked  "Portugal,"  "Spain,"  will  give  this 
lesson.  In  the  Mexican  collection  there  are  issues  which 
seem  to  contradict  this  assertion,  for  the  "Mexican  dol- 
lar" has,  for  generations,  had  a  position  in  the  monetary 
world  of  almost  unchallenged  credit,  yet  not  by  reason  of 
the  recognition  given  Mexico,  but  because  of  the  United 
States  using  it  so  extensively;  for,  until  the  introduction 
of  the  "trade  dollar,"  this  country  had  no  currency  that 
would  meet  the  demand  of  the  Oriental  market. 

MEXICO. 

The  Mexicans  use  only  gold  and  silver,  and  their  na- 
tional series  is  full  of  tragic  interest,  embracing,  as  it  does, 
three  and  a  half  centuries  of  Mexican  history,  from  Cortez 
to  Maximilian.  The  "  pillar  dollar,"  "  windmill  dollar," 
"  cast  dollar"  (the  Mexicans  are  the  only  nation  that  cast 
money),  and  the  "cob  money"  (a  series  so  called  by 
reason  of  its  clumsiness),  are  all  to  be  seen  in  this  collec- 
tion. 


OBVERSE. — CENTENNIAL  MEMORIAL  MEDAL. 


REVERSE.— CENTENNIAL  MEMORIAL  MEDAL. 


6o 


BRAZIL. 

Of  Brazilian  coins  there  are  quite  a  series,  but,  as  they 
are  not  very  old,  and  from  a  country  which  has  thus  far 
most  happily  escaped  internal  and  external  entanglements, 
they  present  only  commercial  value,  though  of  fair  work- 
manship. One  coin,  a  gold  "half-joe,"  issued  in  1832, 
with  the  infant  head  of  Dom  Pedro,  is  very  beautiful.  By 
the  side  of  this,  in  every  way  a  contrast  to  it,  is  a  series  of 
copper  coins  of  a  late  issue  with  the  head  of  the  "child" 
now  seated  on  the  throne.  The  coins  of  Bolivia  gratefully 
present  the  bust  of  Simon  Bolivar.  Among  the  West 
Indies  are  many  samples  of  "  cut  money."  The  law  per- 
mitting money  to  be  quartered  had  to  be  repealed,  because 
the  traders  of  the  West  Indies  made  the  wonderful  mathe- 
matical discovery  that  five  quarters  make  a  whole  ! 

Leaving  both  the  eastern  and  the  western  world  and 
their  coins,  there  is  a  single  piece,  of  small  commercial 
value,  which  is  yet  a  "light-house  in  mid-ocean."  This 
is  the  one  cent  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  the  only  venture 
of  that  kind  yet  made  by  the  enterprising  little  kingdom. 
The  inscription  is  "  Kamehameha  III.,  one  hundredth, 
Hawaii."  The  name  of  the  king  being  interpreted  signifies 
"  the  solitary  one,"  which  is  singularly  well  adapted  to  the 
coin.  No  student  of  human  progress  can  with  indiffer- 
ence realize  the  existence  of  this  coin,  this  rude  link  be- 
tween the  Occident  and  the  Orient. 

COLONIAL. 

When,  in  1684,  the  charter  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay 
Company  was  revoked,  and  the  governor  recalled,  one  of 
the  grievances  alleged  by  the  crown  was  a  colonial  law 
concerning  the  Mint.  The  currency  used  by  the  colonies 
was  chiefly  from  England,  Spain,  and  Portugal,  but  the 
supply  was  limited  from  these  sources,  and  the  mother- 


6r 

country  was  jealous  of  any  infringement  of  her  prerogative 
of  coinage.  There  are  various  specimens  of  the  "  pine- 
tree"  money  of  Massachusetts  in  the  Cabinet.  Some 
doubt  has  arisen  as  to  the  species  of  tree  intended,  but  it 
is  generally  accepted  as  the  emblematic  pine.  This  is 
claimed  to  be  about  the  second  colonial  issue,  a  kind  of 
semi-official  coin.  The  first  was  from  the  Bermudas.*  It 
is  a  shilling  piece,  stamped  by  one  John  Hall,  silversmith, 
of  the  city  of  Boston,  1652,  who  made  a  very  good  specu- 
lation of  the  privilege.  The  work  on  this  species  of  coins 
is  so  exceedingly  simple  as  to  present  little  save  a  planchet. 
On  the  obverse,  a  double  ring  around  a  pine-tree;  legend, 
"Massachusetts  in;"  and  on  the  reverse,  a  double  ring 
also,  containing  the  legend,  "New  England  Au  Dom." 
The  old  story  of  the  weighing  of  John  Hall's  daughter  on 
her  marriage-day  is  recalled  in  seeing  these  coins.  Her 
dowry  was  her  weight  in  "pine-tree"  shillings;  and  the 
suggestion  is  allowable  that  these  specimens  formed  a  part 
of  the  portion  of  the  blushing  bride  two  centuries  ago. 

Charles  II.,  it  appears,  was  easily  deceived  in  regard  to 
the  significance  of  the  "pine-tree  shilling."  Sir  Thomas 
Temple,  a  friend  of  the  colonies,  adroitly  presented  one  of 
these  obnoxious  coins  to  the  irate  monarch,  explaining  that 
the  tree  was  the  "  royal  oak"  which  had  saved  his  majesty's 
life.  Whereupon  the  king,  laughing,  denominated  his  trans- 
Atlantic  subjects  "  honest  dogs,"  and  allowed  the  coinage 
to  proceed. 

During  the  reign  of  George  I.  a  new  species  of  coin  was 
issued  from  the  English  Mint,  denomination  half  a  cent, 
and  it  is  asserted  upon  good  authority  that  this  was  the 
only  issue  ever  authorized  by  the  home  government  for 
general  circulation  in  the  colonies.  It  was  a  coin  of  mixed 

*  This  issue  being  made  at  Summer  Islands,  gave  the  name  of  "  Summer 
money." 


62 

metal,  resembling  brass.  The  head  of  the  king  was  on  the 
obverse;  inscription,  "  Georgius  Rex."  The  reverse,  a 
large  double  rose  under  a  crown  ;  legend,  "Rosa  Ameri- 
cana." Upon  a  scroll,  "Utile  Dulci."  This  is  the  coin 
which  caused  such  excitement  and  so  much  feeling  in  Ire- 
land, and  which  Dean  Swift  attacked  from  the  pulpit. 

"  Peltry,"  we  learn,  was  one  of  the  principal  articles  of 
currency,  and  was  known  as  "pelt,"  or  Massachusetts  cur- 
rency, and  was  extensively  used  in  trading  between  Indians 
and  whites,  sometimes  called  "  Beaver  Money,"  "  Corne, 
Wheate,  Barley,  and  Rye;"*  and  a  still  more  quaint  cur- 
rency was  established,  as  will  be  found  in  an  old  Massachu- 
setts court  order,  as  follows:  "It  is  likewise  ordered  that 
muskett  bulletts  of  a  full  boare  shall  passe  current  for  a 
farthing  a  peece,  provided  that  noe  man  be  compelled  to 
take  above  i2d.  att  a  tyme  of  them." 

In  Maryland,  not  only  cattle,  tobacco,  and  other  pro- 
duce was  accepted  as  currency,  but  powder  an:l  shot  were 
also  included.  Lord  Baltimore,  in  1660,  sent  over  to 
Maryland  the  "Baltimore"  shilling.  In  the  colonial  case 
there  is  a  series  of  these  exceedingly  rare  coins.  They 
were  a  shilling,  sixpence,  farthing,  and  are  all  of  the  same 
design,  differing  only  in  denomination.  They  were  coined 
in  London,  and  compare  favorably  with  any  minting  of 
that  age.  The  bust  of  Lord  Baltimore  on  the  obverse  is 
very  well  cut;  his  name,  "  Cecil,"  is  the  legend.  On  the 
reverse,  the  coat  of  arms  of  Cecil,  Lord  Baltimore,  is 
given,  this  device  has  been  re-adopted  by  the  State  of 
Maryland.  The  substitution  of  any  legal  tender  seems  to 
be  fraught  with  danger,  and  at  best  is  jealously  scanned 
by  the  people;  and  there  was  trouble  to  put  this  coin 


*  Wampum  Peage,"  American  shells  strung,  current  in  Pennsylvania, 
i6s.  a  fathom  or  thread,  should  be  included  in  this  connection,  though 
their  adoption  was  sectional. 


63 

into  circulation.  The  people,  though  demanding  coin, 
did  not  yield  their  old  currency  of  wheat,  corn,  tobacco, 
powder  and  shot,  without  a  demonstration.  The  Caro- 
linas,  Virginia,  and  New  Hampshire  all  followed  Mary- 
land in  the  introduction  of  a  colonial  coinage. 

In  the  interval  of  the  Revolution,  known  as  the  Confed- 
eracy, the  growth  of  the  spirit  of  independence  in  the 
people  is  plainly  written  on  their  coins,  especially  upon 
their  tokens  or  individual  coins.  We  notice  one  inscrip- 
tion, attributed  to  Franklin,  "Mind  your  business;" 
and  others,  such  as  "Good  copper,"  "Cut  your  way," 
and  like  characteristic  expressions.  The  "New  York 
Doubloon"  was  coined  in  1787,  value  sixteen  dollars. 
This  coin  is  highly  esteemed  by  reason  of  its  rarity,  and 
its  market  value  to-day  is  about  one  thousand  dollars,  as 
only  three  or  four  are  known  to  be  in  existence. 

The  Washington  cent  of  1791  (so-called)  was  not  a  coin 
of  the  United  States,  but  was  struck  at  a  private  mint  in 
Birmingham,  England  (Boulton's),  partly,  no  doubt,  to 
bespeak  the  job,  and  partly  to  please  Americans  generally. 

It  has  been  said  that  Washington  objected  to  putting  his 
head  on  the  coins,  and  it  may  be  true  5  but  it  was  also  ob- 
jected that  no  man's  head  should  appear  on  the  coin  of  a 
republic,  which,  whether  good  doctrine  or  not,  is  still  the 
prevailing  idea.  The  "  cent  of  1791"  is  of  two  types,  one 
very  rare  and  costly,  with  a  small  eagle.  The  other,  with 
a  large  eagle,  is  more  common,  and  perhaps  sells  for  about 
five  dollars  at  auction. 

UNITED   STATES   COINS. 

The  first  coins  made  by  the  United  States  Mint  were 
copper  one  cent  and  one-half  cent  issues,  of  which  there 
were  four  designs  :  ist,  the  "  chain  cent ;"  zd,  the  "  wreath 
cent;"  3d,  the  "flowing  hair;"  and  4th,  the  "liberty 
cap,"  which  was  used  for  a  number  of  years.  The  "  chain" 


64 

device  was  not  acceptable  to  the  sensitive  American  mind, 
and  of  consequence  the  accidental  breaking  of  the  die  was 
not  a  subject  of  regret,  but  "quite  the  contrary."  The 
pattern  sections  of  United  States  coins  are  very  beautiful 
and  varied,  especially  those  in  gold. 

A  description  of  the  only  coin  of  recent  issue  which  is 
not  familiar  to  the  country  is  appropriate. 

THE   TRADE   DOLLAR. 

This  coin  bears  on  the  obverse  a  female  figure  seated  on 
bales  of  merchandise,  holding  in  her  left  hand  a  scroll  on 
which  is  the  .word  "liberty."  At  her  back  is  a  sheaf  of 
wheat ;  this  and  the  bales  of  goods  indicate  the  commercial 
character  of  the  coin.  Her  right  hand,  extended,  offers  the 
olive  branch.  On  a  scroll  beneath  the  figure  are  the  words 
"In  God  we  trust,"  and  the  date  below,  "1873."  Tne 
reverse  has  a  circling  inscription,  "  United  States  of  Amer- 
ica, Trade  Dollar."  In  the  centre  is  an  eagle,  in  his  claws 
three  arrows  and  a  sprig  of  olive.  On  a  label  above  are 
the  words,  "E  Pluribus  Unum."  Below,  "4  lb  grains 
fine,"  the  value.  It  is  very  beautiful  both  in  design  and 
execution. 

PACIFIC  COAST. 

The  semi-official  coins  of  the  Pacific  coast  present 
quite  a  glittering  array  of  monetary  enterprise,  and  signify 
the  great  wealth  and  daring  spirit  of  that  part  of  the  world. 
The  fifty-dollar  octagon  gold  piece,  issued  in  1851,  is  a 
very  beautiful  coin.  "Gold  slugs"  are  novelties;  are  ob- 
long gold  pieces,  and  are  valued  at  sixteen  dollars.  The 
Utah  coins  also  attract  attention.  They  are  of  gold,  fine. 
The  device  is  an  "all-seeing  eye"  and  two  clasped  hands; 
reverse,  "a  bee-hive,"  with  inscription,  "Holiness  to  the 
Lord."  Some  have  for  legend,  "  G.  S.  L.  C.  P.  G.," 
which  the  initiated  receive  as  "  Great  Salt  Lake  City,  Pure 
Gold." 


65 

It  is  not  requisite  to  pursue  the  description  of  United 
States  coins,  as  the  series  is  complete  and  can  be  readily 
studied.  The  changes  have  been  very  gradual.  The 
motto,  "In  God  we  trust,"  introduced  by  Director  Pol- 
lock in  1866,  and  the  "Trade  Dollar"  of  Director  Linder- 
man,  each  mark  interesting  epochs  of  our  national  coinage, 
which  will  grow  yearly  more  apparent. 

There  is  one  specimen  which  it  is  well  to  remark,  as  it 
illustrates  how  a  coin  -may  become  famous  without  the  least 
premonition,  and  also  is  a  witness  of  the  positive  law  which 
protects  and  governs  coinage.  A  law  passed  Congress  in 
1849  ordering  twenty-dollar  gold  pieces  to  be  issued.  One 
piece  was  struck.  Something  intervened  to  delay  the  work, 
and  the  year  closed ;  then,  of  course,  the  dies  had  to  be 
destroyed,  as  no  more  could  be  lawfully  issued  of  1849. 
The  coin  just  beside  this,  marked  1850,  of  same  value,  is 
not  worth  the  collector's  consideration,  while  "1849" 
cannot  be  purchased.  It  is  marked  "unique,"  and  is 
really  "the  only  one,"  as  the  Germans  fondly  called  Jean 
Paul  Richter. 

SELECTIONS. 

Having  referred  many  times  to  this  case,  it  may  be  as 
well  to  append  the  entire  list  of  its  contents,  as  they,  almost 
without  exception,  are  rare,  spanning  the  world  from  re- 
motest antiquity  to  the  present  day,  beginning  with  the 
gold  Daric  of  Darius,  and  ending  with  the  twenty-mark 
piece  of  Kaiser  William. 

FIRST  ROW. 

Series  of  Siamese,  varying  from  one-third  of  a  cent  to 
five  dollars  ("  bullet  money"):  Stater  or  drachma  of  Athens, 
2100  years  old — reverse,  sacred  owl;  half-obolus  of  Ath- 
ens, very  small,  one  and  a  half  cent,  bronze ;  golden  Daric 
of  Persia,  oldest  gold  coin  known,  value  five  dollars  and 

6* 


66 

fifty  cents  ;  stater  of  Alexander  the  Great,  B.C.  336  ;  stater 
of  Philip,  brother  of  Alexander,  B.C.  323  ;  Jewish  shekel 
of  Simon  Maccabees,  B.C.  145;  head  of  Janus;  Roman 
aes,  the  first  of  Roman  libral  coins  ;  iron  coin,  Roman 
Republic,  500  B.C. 

SECOND    ROW. 

Coin  of  ancient  Bactria,  Asiatic  colony  of  Greece,  square; 
Eukratides  and  Menander,  B.C.  180 ;  denarius  of  Augustus 
Cffisar,  Divi  F.,  "  the  son  of  the  divine  Julius";  denarius 
of  Tiberius;  penny  of  New  Testament,  tribute  money  of 
Csesar,  value  fifteen  cents ;  Vespasian,  Roman  Emperor, 
"Judea  Devicta"  ;  a  veiled  female  beside  a  palm-tree." 
This  coin  commemorates  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  A.D. 
70,  by  Titus ;  maneh  of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  King  of 
Egypt,  B.C.  284,  most  rare  coin,  by  weight  value  seventeen 
dollars  and  seventy  cents,  esteemed  value  five  thousand 
dollars.  Medallions  :  Syracuse,  Arethusa,  and  Quadriga  ; 
Seleucus,  a  general  of  Alexander's  army,  and  first  King  of 
Greece ;  Syrian  Dynasty,  Alexander  Balas ;  Dionysius, 
Syriac,  B.C.  146  ;  Philip  of  Syria,  B.C.  95  ;  bronze  of  Cleo- 
patra, last  Queen  of  Egypt,  called  "  Kleopatras." 

THIRD    ROW. 

Gold  coin  of  Britain,  prior  to  Roman  conquest ;  penny 
of  Ethelbert,  King  of  Kent,  era  of  Alfred,  died  866  A.D., 
found  in  Sussex,  1804;  Carausius,  Roman  Emperor  in 
Britain  A.D.  287-293,  recently  dug  up  in  England  ;  penny 
of  William  the  Conqueror,  A.D.  1070  ;  fourpence  of  Robert 
Bruce,  King  of  Scotland,  A.D.  1306  ;  half-crown  of  Oliver 
Cromwell,  1658;  gold  ryal  of  Elizabeth,  1600,  value, 
nine  dollars  and  ninety  cents;  five  sovereigns  of  George 
IV.,  the  only  pure  gold  coins,— struck  as  a  show-piece,  head 
by  Chantrey;  silver  coin  of  Charlemagne,  A.D.  814,  value 
seven  cents;  Dirhim  of  Walid,  Caliph  of  Damascus,  A.D. 
713,  one  of  the  earliest  Mohammedan  coins,  Koran-texts 


67 

on  both  sides ;  coin  of  Caliph  Haroun  Alraschid,  A.D.  806  ; 
gold  coin  of  Alanaser,  last  Caliph  of  Bagdad,  A.D.  1222  ; 
coin  of  Sapor,  one  of  the  Magian  or  fire-worshiping  kings 
of  Persia,  A.D.  300. 

FOURTH   ROW. 

Swiss  crown,  1414;  German  crown,  1631;  ducat  of 
Hamburg,  1644,  value  two  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents; 
German  crown,  Maximilian,  1615  ;  Bernese  crown,  1793; 
five  francs  of  Emperor  Napoleon,  1810;  twenty  francs, 
gold,  1815  ;  ducat  of  Nuremberg,  value,  two  dollars  and 
twenty-five  cents ;  late  coin  of  Turkey,  twenty  piastres ; 
crown  of  Bavaria;  Justinian,  Emperor  of  Constantinople, 
A.D.  565;  bezant,  Heraclius,  A.D.  640;  bezant,  Manuel 
Conmenus,  A.D.  1180  ;  stater  of  Cyrenaica  (now  Tripoli), 
200  B.C.  ;  head  of  Jupiter  Ammon,— reverse,  the  silphion 
plant,  which  yields  the  "  Cyrenian  juice,'"  used  by  the 
ancients  as  a  condiment  and  medicine, — finest  engraving 
in  the  collection  ;  a  specimen  of  the  ancient  currency  of 
Burmah,  a  gravel-stone  encased  in  brass. 

FIFTH   ROW. 

New  coins  of  Canada;  coins  of  Lombardy  during  re- 
public of  1848  ;  Australia,  two  ounces,  1853  ;  Australia, 
one  pound,  value  five  dollars;  pound  sterling,  Charles  I. ; 
"  Siege-pence  ;"  dirhem,  or  drachm,  of  Mahomed  V.,  Ca- 
liph of  Spain  under  the  Moors,  A.D.  854  ;  minuta  aereolo, 
"  Widow's  Mite,"  Greek  or  Syrian  bronze,  one-eighth  of 
a  cent,  smallest  ancient  coin,  found  near  the  temple  of  Je- 
rusalem by  Dr.  Barclay  ;  "  crown  dollars,"  crown  over  two 
hemispheres,  Spain,  Charles  ;  gold  coin,  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella;  Bavarian  dollar,  1833,  commemorative  of  thirty 
thousand  Bavarians  killed  in  battles  with  Prussia— on  the 
obverse  of  this  a  monument,  simple  Doric  column,  quite 
unique. 


68 

SIXTH   ROW. 

Chinese  silver  dollar,  date  not  given ;  five-franc  piece 
struck  by  Commune  during  siege  of  Paris,  1871  ;  coins 
of  new  French  Republic,  1876;  dollar  of  Cochin  China; 
Japanese  gold  piece,  1634,  value,  three  dollars,  patterned 
after  Chinese  "  cash  ;"  Chinese  gold  bar,  or  ten-tael  piece, 
value,  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  dollars — largest  gold 
piece  in  the  world. 

The  most  notable  coin  in  this  case,  and  perhaps  the  most 
celebrated  coin  in  the  world,  is  the  "Widow's  Mite."  Its 
name  bespeaks  its  commercial  insignificance.  Even  scholars 
disagree  as  to  its  real  or  legal  name  and  denomination ; 
yet  thousands  every  year,  upon  entering  the  Cabinet  of  the 
Mint,  ask  first  to  see  the  "  Widow's  Mite."  It  can  never 
be  of  less  interest,  because  it  teaches  the  greatest  lesson  of 
true  charity  ever  uttered, — not  that  which  gives  of  abund- 
ance, but  that  which  divides  the  pittance. 


MEDALS. 


WASHINGTON   MEDALLIC   MEMORIALS. 

THE  Mint  in  Philadelphia  contains  a  monument  to 
George  Washington,  composed  of  nearly  one  hundred  and 
fifty  medals,  medalets,  and  tokens,  in  gold,  silver,  and 
bronze.  This  memorial  will  outlast  the  long-delayed  shaft 
now  termed  the  "  Nation's  disgrace,"  should  that  structure, 
unfortunate  as  it  is,  ever  be  completed.  In  this  cabinet 
of  medals  there  is  ample  scope  to  study  the  august  propor- 
tions of  Washington's  character,  which  grow  more  harmo- 
nious when  we  look  at  them  through  the  vista  of  a  hundred 
years.  We  are  amazed,  however,  to  find  but  one  place 
whereon  the  warrior  is  presented.  Only  the  man  as  he 
was  in  the  hearts  of  the  people,  and  as  he  was  associated 
with  the  development  of  his  country  and  the  promotion 
of  the  arts  of  peace,  is  perpetuated. 

WASHINGTON    BEFORE    BOSTON. 

The  medal  which  makes  the  exception  in  this  collection 
is  one  of  great  interest,  and  was  the  first  order  of  the  kind 
issued  by  the  Continental  Congress.  The  original  medal 
was  of  gold,  and  was  intended  to  commemorate  the  "  Evac- 
uation of  Boston,  March  25,  1776."  The  obverse  has  a 
bust  of  Washington,  after  Houdon,  the  reverse  a  group  of 
officers  upon  horseback  looking  at  the  embarkation  of 
British  troops.  In  the  distance,  part  of  the  enemy's  ships 
are  passing  down  the  bay  under  full  sail.  The  inscription, 
'•'  Hostibus  Primo  Fugatis,"  tells  the  story.  This  medal 

69 


70 

was  executed  by  Duvivier,  under  the  direction  of  Dr. 
Franklin,  while  in  Paris.  It  was  formally  presented  to 
George  Washington  with  the  resolution  of  thanks  adopted 
by  Congress  at  the  time  the  order  was  given.  A  committee 
of  three  was  chosen  by  Congress  to  propose  a  suitable  de- 
vice for  the  medal,— Mr.  John  Adams,  Mr.  Jay,  Mr.  Hop- 
kjnS) — which  device  was  forwarded  to  Dr.  Franklin. 

FRENCH    MEDAL   FOk   WASHINGTON. 

Medallic  offerings  to  Washington  were  not  confined  to 
this  country.  In  1778  a  medal  was  struck  in  Paris.  It 
was  designed  by  Voltaire,  and  has  the  legend,  "  Wash- 
ington reunit  par  un  rare  assemblage  les  talens  du  guerrier 
et  les  vertus  du  sage."  The  reverse  of  this  medal  is  a 
happy  conception,  a  grouping  of  martial  emblems  sur- 
rounded by  diverging  rays. 

REVOLUTIONARY   MEDALS. 

The  earlier  medals  ordered  by  Congress  were  given  to 
commemorate  some  special  act  of  bravery  during  the  Rev- 
olutionary struggle.  This  list  is  very  incomplete,  indeed 
it  would  seem  almost  invidious  to  distinguish  among  those 
grand,  self-sacrificing  men.  Conspicuous  in  the  series  are 
the  "  Wayne  Medal,"  awarded  after  the  storming  of  Stony 
Point,  1779;  medal  struck  for  General  Greene,  commemo- 
rating the  battle  of  Eutaw  Springs,  1781  ;  medal  presented 
by  Congressional  resolution  to  Paul  Jones,  October  16, 
1787.  One  of  the  most  significant  of  these  medallic  me- 
morials is  the  one  presented  to  Colonel  John  Eager  How- 
ard (to  quote  from  the  resolution  of  Congress),  "  Because 
rushing  suddenly  upon  the  line  of  the  wavering  enemy,  he 
gave  a  brilliant  specimen  of  mortal  bravery  at  the  battle 
of  Cowpens,  1781." 

INDIAN    MEDALS. 

Another  series  worth  special  attention   is    that  of   the 


various  Indian  medals,  presented  by  the  Government  to 
celebrate  different  treaties,  and  to  distinguish  the  chiefs 
who  have  kept  their  plighted  faith.  Upon  them  are  sym- 
bols of  commerce  and  agriculture,  only  such  emblems  as 
would  direct  the  mind  of  the  red  man  to  the  arts  of  peace, 
and  a  higher  civilization. 

General  Washington  presented  a  silver  medal  to  Red 
Jacket,  and  the  custom  prevails  to  this  day.  Within  a 
short  time  the  fine  issue  known  as  "  Grant's  Indian 
Peace  Medal"  has  been  added  to  the  list.  This  is  a  very 
beautiful  medal,  and  commemorates  a  policy  toward  the 
red  man  of  which  later  events  have  shown  him  unappre- 
ciative. 

PRESIDENTIAL    MEDALS. 

The  Mint  has  issued  a  medal  in  compliment  to  each 
President :  the  bust  on  the  obverse,  and  some  character- 
istic utterance,  a  significant  event,  or  leading  trait  of  char- 
acter on  the  other  ;  so  while  rejecting  the  head  of  leader  or 
President  on  coins,  this  collection  of"  Presidential  Medals" 
is  sufficient  to  register  the  names  of  our  executives  upon 
the  annals  of  fame.  In  the  list  presented  at  the  Mint  only 
two,  and  the  two  greatest,  are  not  found — George  Wash- 
ington and  John  Adams.  Medals  commemorating  their 
presidential  terms  would  be  eminently  appropriate,  and 
complete  the  series. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Under  this  head  are  comprised  medals  given  for  special 
unofficial  acts  of  bravery,  national  events  of  importance, 
scientific  progress,  etc.  Gallantry  in  saving  life  from  the 
perils  of  the  sea  has  been  highly  appreciated  by  the  Gov- 
ernment. Among  these  is  a  medal  to  Captain  Ingraham, 
for  rescue  of  Martin  Koszta  ;  one  to  the  United  States 
Coast  Survey,  for  gallantry  and  humanity;  the  beautiful 
"  Metus  Medal,"  the  "John  Horn  Medal,"  are  recent 
presentations;  "Dr.  Frederick  Rose,  for  skill  and  hu- 


OBVERSE. — UNITED  STATES   DIPLOMATIC  MEDAL. 


REVERSE. — UNITED  STATES   DIPLOMATIC  MEDAL. 


74 

manity;"  the  "  Seward-Robinson  Medal,"  etc.  These 
medals  are  not  supposed  to  give  the  minutiae  of  the  deeds 
of  gallantry  they  register,  yet  will  serve  not  only  to  dis- 
tinguish the  recipient,  but  as  an  incentive  to  the  higher 
development  of  true  manliness. 

Among  national  memorials  are  the  "Emancipation 
Proclamation  Medal,"  the  "Japanese  Embassy  Medal," 
the  "Pacific  Railway  Medal,"  "Cyrus  W.  Field  Atlantic 
Cable  Medal,"  the  "Centennial  Memorial  Medals,"  the 
"  United  States  Diplomatic  Medal." 

FOREIGN    MEDALS. 

Turning  a  moment  from  a  survey  of  our  own  medallic 
array,  it  will  be  interesting  to  note  in  the  miscellaneous 
case  some  of  the  more  distinguished  foreign  medals. 
Attached  to  these  works  of  art  are  such  names  as  Duvi- 
vier,  Dupre,  Caunus,  Chantrey,  Webb,  Wyon,  Barber, 
Andrieu,  Stathord,  etc. 

The  most  beautiful  architectural  medal  possibly  ever 
produced,  known  as  the  "  St.  Paul's  Chapel  Medal,"  will 
be  among  the  first  to  attract  attention.  It  was  ordered  by 
Pius  IX.,  in  1864,  to  commemorate  the  completion  of 
this  beautiful  church.  It  presents  the  interior  of  the 
chapel  with  amazing  fidelity,  and,  like  all  works  of  high 
art,  the  longer  it  is  studied  the  more  beauty  it  develops. 
Its  deep  alcoves  and  high  altars,  its  frescoes  and  carvings, 
rival  each  other,  and  produce  a  wonderful  result.  The 
bronzing  in  this  medal  is  rare,  and  said  only  to  be  at- 
tained by  the  Pope's  artist.  A  fine  English  medal,  cele- 
brating the  suppression  of  the  Indian  insurrection,  on 
which  is  presented  an  armed  Britannia  and  Lion,  by 
Wyon,  with  date  "  1857-1858."  This,  though  fine,  does 
not  rival  his  inimitable  figure  of  "  Una  and  the  Lion,"  on 
the  Victorian  sovereign.  Una,  the  chosen  spirit  of  Britain 
since  the  Spenserian  age,  is  a  form  replete  with  grace  and 


75 

beauty,  her  face  rendered  even  finer  than  upon  that  gold 
coin  of  Victoria,  on  the  reverse  of  which  is  Una  leading 
the  British  lion.  Indeed,  in  studying  her  representation 
upon  the  medal,  Spenser's  own  description  of  his  ideal  is 
recalled : 

"  Her  angel's  face, 

As  the  great  eye  of  Heaven,  shyned  bright, 
And  made  a  sunshine  in  the  shady  place." 

"The  Bust  of  Maria  Theresa,"  by  Andrieu.  The 
medallion  of  Josephine  and  Napoleon,  by  the  same,  and 
"The  Taking  of  the  Bastile."  "Moliere,"  by  Caunus. 
The  "Isotta  Ariminensis,"  a  very  curious  old  medal, 
will  attract  connoisseurs;  Obverse,  bust  of  an  Indian 
princess,  hair  coiffured  in  a  remarkable  manner,  the  lines 
of  which  describe  a  right  angle  from  the  back  of  the  head; 
reverse,  the  sacred  elephant,  and  in  exergue,  1446.  This 
medal  is  rare  and  fine. 

There  are  other  foreign  medals  quite  worthy  of  study, 
and  which  will  attract  the  attention  of  the  visitor.  This 
notice  will  close  with  a  short  sketch  of 

"THE  HOLY  ALLIANCE,  OR  WATERLOO  MEDAL." 

Not  only  does  this  large  medal  command  attention  be- 
cause of  the  beauty  of  its  composition,  but  also  from  a 
little  anecdote  in  connection  with  its  production. 

Its  name  signifies  that  its  intention  was  to  commemorate 
the  termination  of  the  peninsular  war  of  the  allied  powers 
against  Napoleon  I.  The  obverse  contains  in  the  centre 
profile  portraits  of  the  four  allied  sovereigns — George  VI. 
of  England,  Nicholas  I.  of  Russia,  Francis  I.  of  Austria, 
William  II.  of  Germany.  These  portraits  are  surrounded 
by  mythological  emblems  of  war  and  its  terrors.  The 
labors  of  Hercules  on  one  part,  and  the  Fates  and  Furies  in- 
termingled, weaving  and  rending  the  threads  of  life.  It  is 
impossible  to  give  more  than  a  general  suggestion  of  this 


76 

side.  The  reverse  expresses  the  greatness  and  difficulty  of  a 
thirty-years'  war,  and  the  extent  of  power  required  to  effect 
its  termination,  by  the  presentation  of  a  subject  known  to 
every  classic  reader,  namely,  that  of  Jupiter  overthrowing 
the  Titans.  No  words  can  describe  the  strength  and  grace 
of  this  drawing,  and  had  it  been  found  in  a  frieze  of  some 
old  temple  it  would  have  been  the  coveted  possession  of 
royalty. 

This  medal  is  not  a  medal  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word. 
A  medal  is  a  piece  of  metal — gold,  silver,  copper,  or  any 
malleable  metal — struck  between  two  dies,  held  in  position 
by  a  steel  collar,  which  dies  impress  the  obverse  and  reverse 
at  the  same  time. 

This  design  was  so  highly  prized  by  the  English  Govern- 
ment that  it  has  never  consented  to  have  the  dies  hard- 
ened (in  which  process  they  might  be  broken)  so  as  to  have 
a  medal  struck,  but  plates  have  been  made  from  impression? 
taken  from  either  side,  and  joined  together. 

The  anecdote  referred  to  is  illustrative  of  the  vanity  of 
George  IV.,  and  the  honesty  of  the  great  artist  Pesthucci. 
The  artist  fell  under  royal  disfavor  because  he  refused  to 
accept  a  head  of  George  IV.,  by  Sir  Francis  Chantrey, 
for  a  work  which  he  was  engaged  on,  a  royal  commission, 
alleging  his  own  model  to  be  truer.  The  artist  was  re- 
tired upon  a  pension,  and  given  "The  Holy  Alliance" 
medal  to  execute.  It  was  more  than  twenty  years  before 
this  wonder  of  drawing  and  poetic  design  was  presented  to 
the  world. 

PACIFIC    RAILWAY    MEDAL. 

Of  the  medals  commemorating  American  enterprise, 
none  can  be  found,  either  in  beauty  of  design  or  magni- 
tude of  the  achievement,  more  interesting  than  the  Pacific 
Railway  medal.  This  medal  was  struck  while  Governor 
Pollock  was  Director,  and  commemorates  th  •  success  of  an 
enterprise  which  shat  officer  had  anticipated  years  before. 


77 

The  design  is  by  William  Barber,  Esq.,  Engraver  of  the 
Mint,  and  does  credit  to  this  member  of  a  family  distin- 
guished for  generations  as  engravers.  The  obverse  is  a 
miniature  presentation  of  that  part  of  the  continent  over 
which  the  road  passes  from  "blue  to  blue,"  canons, 
mountains,  and  rivers,  through  which  the  pioneer  engine  is 
dashing  to  its  objective  point.  A  scroll  over  this  expanse 
bears  the  words,  "Every  mountain  shall  be  made  low." 
Underneath  is  the  inscription,  "  Medal  series  of  the  United 
States  Mint,  James  Pollock,  Director."  On  the  reverse  is 
an  elegant  portrait  in  profile  of  the  President,  over  whose 
head  in  a  three-quarter  circle  are  the  words, 

"  Presidency  of  U.  S.  Grant." 
Below  the  bust  is  the  inscription, 

"  The  Oceans  United  by  Railway," 
"  May  10,  1869." 

The  series  comprising  the  "  Centennial  Memorial  Medals" 
are  too  familiar  to  need  description  here.  These  medals, 
authorized  by  an  Act  of  Congress,  are  made  at  the  Mint, 
and  issued  by  the  Centennial  Board  of  Finance,  to  be  sold 
upon  the  Centennial  grounds. 

Another  series  of  medals  are  those  made  by  Mr.  George 
B.  Soley.  They  are  Centennial  in  design,  and  comprise 
three  distinct  medals.  The  first  is  the  Catholic  Fountain 
medal.  "  T.  A.  B.  Fountain"  on  the  obverse,  and  the 
official  badge  of  the  order  on  the  reverse. 

zd.  Is  "Old  Independence  Hall"  on  the  obverse,  head 
of  Washington  on  the  reverse. 

3(1.  The  obverse  portrays  the  struggles  of  our  forefathers 
in  1776,  and  the  reverse  the  advance  made  in  one  hun- 
dred years.  This  series  is  entirely  the  work  of  machinery, 
and  as  samples  of  mechanism  or  mechanical  engraving  the 
medals  are  quite  interesting. 


"THE  UNITED  STATES  DIPLOMATIC  MEDAL." 

This  is  the  most  interesting  medal  in  the  possession  of 
our  country.  It  is  the  medal  commemorative  of  American 
independence,  July  4,  1776.  It  was  ordered  by  President 
Washington  in  1791,  and  designed  by  Thomas  Jefferson 
when  Secretary  of  State.  It  is  not  only  valuable  because 
it  was  the  graceful  intention  of  these  two  distinguished  men 
to  have  it  a  "  Diplomatic  medal"  to  be  presented  to  foreign 
ministers  upon  leaving  our  shores,  but  it  has  a  "strange 
eventful  history"  not  often  met  with  even  by  a  medal  a 
century  old. 

The  letters  of  Jefferson  certify  that  such  an  order  was 
given  to  Dupres,  then  one  of  the  first  engravers  of  France. 
The  description  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  design  (adopted  with 
but  slight  change),  the  cost,  and  the  need  of  such  a  diplo- 
matic present,  are  fully  given  in  a  letter  from  the  Secretary 
to  Mr.  William  Short,  then  at  Paris.  It  was  intended  to 
attach  a  chain  thereto  like  the  old  Roman  medallions,  and 
the  cost  was  to  vary  according  to  the  esteem  in  which  the 
recipient  was  held.  There  is  also  assurance  afforded  in 
these  letters  of  Jefferson  that  two  medals  were  struck,  one 
for  Marquis  de  la  Luzerne,  and  the  other  for  Count  de 
Moustier,  who  succeeded  Luzerne  as  minister  to  this  coun- 
try. That  for  the  marquis  was  much  the  handsomer,  the 
cost  being  chiefly  regulated  by  the  chain,  which  for  this 
was  ordered  to  be  heavy  and  composed  of  three  hundred 
and  sixty-five  links.  This  eminent  diplomat  was  endeared 
to  the  people  of  America  by  the  practical  humanity  he  dis- 
played toward  our  suffering  troops  around  Philadelphia,  a 
matter  that  required  the  greatest  delicacy  of  the  accom- 
plished minister,  so  as  not  to  offend  the  Court  of  St.  James. 
This  medal  was  the  first  diplomatic  present  offered  by  the 
United  States  Government,  which  gracious  duty  was  well 


79 

performed  by  Thomas  Jefferson,  as  the  following  extract 
from  his  letter  will  manifest : 

"  To  MARQUIS  DE  LA  LUZERNE  : 

"  You  will  receive,  sir,  by  order  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  as  soon  as  they  can  be  prepared,  a  medal 
and  chain  of  gold,  of  which  he  desires  your  acceptance  in 
token  of  their  esteem,  and  of  the  sensibility  with  which 
they  will  ever  recall  your  legation  to  their  memory." 

The  chain  for  the  medal  given  Count  de  Moustier  was 
composed  of  thirteen  long  links.  Many  inquiries  have 
been  made  for  these  medals,  but  as  yet  their  existence  is 
not  known,  and  it  is  feared  they  may  in  the  vicissitudes 
of  revolutionary  France  have  found  their  fate  in  a  crucible. 
A  gold  medal  was  also  ordered  by  the  Secretary  of  State  to 
be  struck,  but  without  chain,  and  at  the  same  time  Dupres 
was  instructed  "to  send  this  medal  with  the  dies  to  Phila- 
delphia by  the  first  safe  hand  who  shall  be  passing."  The 
medal  and  dies  never  reached  this  country,  and  their  loss, 
within  the  last  few  months,  has  not  been  satisfactorily 
accounted  for.  Indeed,  notwithstanding  the  incontestible 
documentary  evidence,  many  doubted  that  such  a  medal 
had  ever  been  struck. 

In  1837,  Mr.  J.  Francis  Fisher  gave  a  description  of  it 
to  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  and  said  both  dies, 
taken  separately,  were  in  his  possession,  and  also  in  the 
possession  of  a  professor  at  Cambridge.  Strange  to  say,  no 
application  was  then  made  to  secure  them. 

Dr.  Linderman,  October,  1874,  inserted  a  card  of  in- 
quiry in  the  American  Journal  of  Numismatics,  with  the 
hope  of  securing  an  answer  from  some  one  of  the  readers 
of  that  journal.  In  reply,  the  editors  gave  an  extract 
from  the  Director  of  the  Mint  of  France,  under  date  of 
July  9,  1874:  "  I  have  the  honor  to  receive  your  letter  of 


So 

the  1 3th  of  June  last,  relative  to  the  'medal  commemora- 
tive of  American  Independence,  July  4,  1776,'  and  regret 
to  inform  you  tha.t  notwithstanding  the  most  careful  search 
I  have  been  unable  to  discover  anything  of  it.  It  is  not 
to  be  found  in  the  collection  of  coins  at  the  museum  of  the 
Mint,  neither  is  it  mentioned  in  any  French  work  in  the 
library."  This  was  rather  discouraging,  but  a  correspond- 
ence opened  between  the  Director  of  the  United  States 
Mint  and  Professor  Jules  Marceau,  of  Cambridge,  resulted 
in  securing  for  Government  the  original  lead  impression  of 
the  medal,  and  the  story  of  its  long-hidden  existence. 

Professor  Marceau  writes:  "In  1866,  after  discovering 
the  existence  of  the  first  Fourth  of  July  medal,  I  asked  my 
friend  Pelouze,  then  Director  of  the  Mint  in  Paris,  to  in- 
stitute researches  about  it.  He  found  nothing,  not  only 
among  the  dies,  but  also  among  the  papers  and  collections 
of  coins  and  medals.  The  Vattemere  collection  at  the 
National  Library  does  not  possess  it,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
of  its  great  rarity.  .  .  .  Dupres's  son  told  me  he  had  a 
faint  recollection  of  his  father  saying  that  one  of  his  medals, 
engraved  by  order  of  Dr.  Franklin  for  the  Congress  of 
America,  never  reached  that  country,  but  was  destroyed  by 
a  storm  or  captured  by  an  English  privateer.  He  was  un- 
able to  affirm  which  of  the  medals.  Very  likely  it  was  this 
one.  Where  is  the  die?  It  is  not  in  France.  I  looked 
for  it  there  some  years  ago,  and  had  a  conversation  with 
Dupres's  son,  since  dead.  M.  Gatteau,  also  son  of  the  en- 
graver of  that  name,  during  the  reign  of  Louis  XVI.,  had 
two  copies  in  bronze  of  this  medal,  boihfleur  de  coin.  He 
declined  to  part  with  them  at  any  price.  Since  then  they 
have  been  destroyed,  with  all  his  collection  of  pictures, 
sculptures,  and  drawings,  by  the  Communists,  in  May, 
1871,  his  hotel  having  been  entirely  burned  by  these  mod- 
ern barbarians.  ...  I  have  the  original  lead  proof  from 
Dupres's  son.  If  you  think  it  right  to  have  it  engraved 


8i 

for  the  Centenary  I  will  put  it  at  your  service  for  that  pur- 
pose." 

Dr.  Linderman  was  happy  to  avail  himself  of  the  pro- 
fessor's offer,  and  promptly  ordered  the  reproduction  of 
the  medal 

FOR  THE   CENTENNIAL. 

It  is  a  very  pleasing  consideration  that  it  was  a  feature  of 
the  centenary  of  that  Fourth  of  July  which  it  was  ordered 
to  commemorate,  and  many  thanks  are  due  the  Director  of 
the  Mint  for  the  perseverance  with  which  he  has  carried 
out  the  graceful  project.  The  reproduction  by  C.  Barber 
is  finely  executed,  and  the  bronzing  exceptionally  beauti- 
ful. 

The  design  of  this  medal  is  simple  and  elegant :  ob- 
verse, the  eagle  displayed ;  on  his  breast  a  shield  ;  in  his 
right  claw  an  olive-branch;  in  his  left  thirteen,  arrows; 
from  his  beak  a  scroll  inscribed  "E  Pluribus  Unum." 
Above  is  a  sun  of  thirteen  stars,  from  which  issue  rays 
passing  through  a  circle  of  clouds,  and  extending  below 
the  wings  of  the  eagle;  legend  encircling,  "  The  United 
States  of  America;"  reverse  inscription,  "To  Peace  and 
Commerce;"  /*  exergue,  IV  Jul,  MDCCLXXVI  (July  4, 
1776);  to  the  right,  Dupres  F.  ;  the  figure  of  an  Indian 
queen  seated,  personifying  America;  in  her  right  hand  is 
a  cornucopia  of  fruit  and  grain  ;  by  her  side  are  bales,  a 
barrel,  and  an  anchor  to  which  she  points.  Mercury  has 
just  alighted,  and  extends  to  her  his  right  hand,  welcoming 
her  into  the  family  of  nations.  Beyond  Mercury  is  the 
ocean,  and  on  the  extreme  left  is  the  fore  part  of  a  ship, 
and  still  farther  on  is  land.  Added,  when  reproduced,  in 
exergue,  C.  Barber,  1876.  It  was  a  gracious  thought  on 
the  part  of  our  forefathers  to  have  this  medal  produced  as 
a  diplomatic  courtesy,  and  seems  like  unto  the  proud  cere- 
monial of  those  days.  It  recalls  the  acts  of  decorum  which 
distinguished  them  as  men  of  high  association  and  observant 


82 


of  the  amenities  of  life,  public  and  private.  They  individ- 
ually appear,  at  the  distance  of  generations,  worthy  of  our 
highest  admiration  ;  and  the  best  sign  we  perceive  of  better 
things,  in  this  money-getting  and  craving  age,  is  the  devel- 
opment of  a  higher  reverence  for  the  heroes  of  '76. 


OFFICERS 

OF  THE 

MINT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

PHILADELPHIA,   1876. 


Hon.  JAMES  POLLOCK,  Superintendent. 

Prof.  JAS.  C.  BOOTH,  Melter  and  Refiner. 

N.  B.  BOYD,  Assistant  Melter  and  Refiner. 

Col.  A.  L.  SNOWDEN,  Coiner. 

O.  C.  BOSBYSHELL,  Assistant  Coiner. 

WM.  E.  DUBOIS,  Assayer. 

J.  B.  ECKFELDT,  Assistant  Assayer. 

WM.  BARBER,  Engraver. 

H.  C.  HICKOK,  Chief  Clerk. 

MARK  H.  COBB,  Cashier. 


LIST  OF   MEDALS  IN  COPPER  BRONZED,  ALSO 

IN   GOLD   AND   SILVER,  WHICH   MAY 

BE   OBTAINED   AT   THE   MINT. 

ARMY.  Size.     Price. 

I.     WASHINGTON  before  Boston  .................................     42 


MAJ.  GENERAL  GATES,  for  Saratoga  ...................  34 

3.  GEN.  MORGAN,  for  Cowpens  .................................  35 

4.  JOHN  EAGER  HOWARD,  for  Cowpens  .................  28 

5.  COL.  WM.  WASHINGTON,  for  Cowpens  ...............  28 

6.  COL.  GEO.  CROGHAN,  for  Sandusky  .....................  40 

7-  MAJ.  GEN.  HARRISON,  for  the  Thames  ..................  40 

8.  GOV.  ISAAC  SHELBY,  for  the  Thames  ...................  40 

9.  MAJ.  GEN.  SCOTT,  for  Chippewa  and  Niagara  .........  40 

10.  MAJ.  GEN.  GAINES,  for  Fort  Erie  ..........................  40 

n.  MAJ.  GEN.  PORTER,  for  Chippewa,  Niagara  and  Erie  40 

12.  MAJ.  GEN.  BROWN,  for  the  same  ...........................  40 

13.  BRIG.  GEN.  MILLER,  for  the  same  ........................  40 

14.  BRIG.  GEN.  RIPLEY,  for  the  same  ..........................  40 

15.  MAJ.  GEN.  MACOMB,  Battle  of  Plattsburg  ..............  4o 

16.  MAJ.  GEN.  JACKSON,  Battle  of  New  Orleans  ..........  40 

17.  MAJ.  GEN.  TAYLOR,  Palo  Alto  .............................  40 


50 
50 
50 
50 
50 
So 
50 
50 
50 
50 
50 
50 
50 
50 
qo 
50 
50 
for  Monterey  ........................     40       150 

X9-  for  Buena  Vista  ....................     56       3  oo 

20.  MAJ.  GEN.  SCOTT,  for  Battles  in  Mexico  ................     56       3  oo 

21.  MAJ.  GEN.  GRANT  .............................................     64       8  oo 

2ia.  COL.  LEE,  "  Light-Horse  Harry"  ............................     29       i  50 

NAVY. 

22.  JOHN  PAUL  JONES,  for  Serapis  ...........................  36  200 

23.  CAPT.  THOMAS  TRUXTON,  for  the  action  with  the 

Frigate  L'Insurgente  ...........................................  3j  x  5O 

24.  CAPTAIN  HULL,  for  Capture  of  the  Guerriere  .........  40  i  50 

25.  CAPT.  JACOB  JONES,  for  Capture  of  the  Frolic  ......  40  i  50 

26.  CAPT.  DECATUR,  for  Capture  of  Macedonian  .........  40  i  50 

27.  CAPT.  BAINBRIDGE,  for  Capture  of  the  Java  ..........  40  150 

28.  CAPT.  LAWRENCE,  for  Capture  of  the  Peacock  ........  40  150 

29.  CAPT.  BURROWS,  for  Capture  of  the  Boxer  ............  40  i  50 

8  8S 


86 

Size.     Price. 

30.  LIEUT.  McCALL,  for  Capture  of  the  Boxer 40    21  5° 

31.  CAPT.  PERRY,  Capture  of  British  Fleet  on  Lake  Erie     40  i  50 

32.  CAPT.  ELLIOTT,  for  the  same 4°  *  5° 

33.  CAPT.  WARRINGTON,  for  Capture  of  the  Epervier..     40  i  50 

34.  CAPT.  BLAKELY,  for  Capture  of  the  Reindeer 40  I  50 

35.  CAPT.  MACDONOUGH,  Capture  of  the  British  fleet 

on  Lake  Chainplain 4°  J  5° 

36.  CAPT.  HENLEY,  for  the  same 4°  J  5° 

37.  LIEUT.  CASSIN,  for  the  same 4°  r  5° 

38.  CAPT.  BIDDLE,  for  Capture  of  the  Penguin 4°  *  5° 

39.  CAPT.  STUART,  Capture  of  the  Cyane  and  Levant....     40  i  50 
39a.  CAPT.  ED.  PREBLE,  before  Tripoli 4°  I  5° 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

40.  RESCUE  of  Officers  and  Crew,  brig  Somers 36  x  5° 

41.  CAPT.  INGRAHAM,  for  Rescue  of  Martin  Koszta 64  3  oo 

42.  SHIPWRECK  MEDAL 4°  15° 

43.  U.  S.  COAST  SURVEY,  for  Gallantry  and  Humanity..     21  i  oo 

44.  JAPANESE  EMBASSY  MEDAL 48  2  oo 

45.  DR.  FREDERICK  ROSE,  for  Skill  and  Humanity 48  3  oo 

46    ALLEGIANCE  MEDAL 18  25 

PRESIDENTIAL. 

47.  THOMAS   JEFFERSON 47  2  5<> 

48.  JAMES  MADISON 4°  *  5° 

49.  JAMES  MONROE 4°  *  5° 

50.  JOHN  Q.ADAMS 4O  15° 

51.  ANDREW   JACKSON 4°  *  5° 

52.  MARTIN  VAN  BURBN 4°  i   5<> 

53.  JOHN  TYLER 4°  i  So 

54.  JAMES  K.  POLK • 4°  I  5° 

55.  ZACHARY   TAYLOR 4°  I  5° 

56.  M1LLARD  FILLMORE... 4°  I  5° 

57.  FRANKLIN  PIERCE 4°  *  5° 

58.  JAMES  BUCHANAN 48  2  oo 

59.  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 4§  2  oo 

60.  ANDREW  JOHNSON 48  200 

61.  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT... 48  2  oo 

SUB-NATIONAL   MEDALS. 

62.  CAPT.  PERRY  (State  of  Pennsylvania),  for  the  Capture 

of  the  British  fleet  on  Lake  Erie 4°  x  5° 

63.  PENNA.  VOLUNTEERS,  Action  on  Lake  Erie 40  i  50 

64.  MAJ.  GEN.  SCOTT  (Commonwealth  of  Virginia) 5^  3  °° 


S7 

MISCELLANEOUS  AMERICAN. 

Size.  Price. 

64*.  PROF.  AGASSIZ  MEDAL 3°  $i  5° 

65.  COL.  ARMSTRONG,  for  destruction  of  the  Indian  Vil- 

lage of  Kittaning 27  J  °° 

66.  INDIAN  PEACE  MEDAL 27  i  oo 

67.  CAPT.'S    CREIGHTON,   LOW,  and    STOUFFER, 

Wreck  of  Steamer  San  Francisco 47  200 

6ja.  CAPT.'S  CREIGHTON,  LOW,  and  STOUFFER, 

Wreck  of  Steamer  San  Francisco,  by  Congress 50  3  oo 

67^.  CORNELIUS  VANDERBILT,  by  Congress 48  250 

68.  DR.  HOSACK 21  25 

69.  FIRST  STEAM  COINAGE 16  25 

70.  COM.  M.  C.  PERRY,  from  Merchants  of  Boston 40  2  oo 

71.  PACIFIC  RAILROAD  MEDAL 29  i  25 

72.  EMANCIPATION  PROCLAMATION  MEDAL 29  i  oo 

73.  CYRUS  W.  FIELD,  Atlantic  Cable 64  800 

74.  DR.  JOSEPH   PANCOAST 48  300 

75.  GRANT'S  INDIAN  PEACE  MEDAL 40  3  oo 

76.  "  LET  US   HAVE  PEACE" 29  125 

76*.  SEWARD-ROBINSON 48  2  50 

WASHINGTON    MEDALS. 

77.  PRESIDENCY  RELINQUISHED 25  i  oo 

78.  THE  CABINET  MEDAL 37  i  oo 

79.  TIME  INCREASES  HIS  FAME 16  50 

80.  COMMENCEMENT  OF  CABINET 12  25 

DIRECTORS   OF   THE   MINT. 

81.  DAVID  RITTENHOUSE 28  I  25 

82.  J.  R.  SNOWDEN 50  250 

83.  EX-GOV.  JAS.  POLLOCK 29  i  25 

FINE    GOLD    MEDALS. 
See  Rule  3.* 

TIME  INCREASES  HIS  FAME 16  12  oo 

COMMENCEMENT  OF  CABINET 12  6  25 

WASHINGTON  AND  JACKSON 10  4  50 

*  RULE  3.  When  a  Pattern  Piece  is  adopted  and  used  in  the  regular 
coinage  in  the  same  year,  it  shall  then  be  issued  as  a  Proof,  at  a  price  near 

its  current  value ;  or,  if  it  comes  out  early  in  the  year,  it  will  be  placed  in 


FINE    SILVER   MEDALS. 

See  Rule  3. 

Size.     Price. 

CABINET  MEDAL 37       6  oo 

PRESIDENCY  RELINQUISHED 25       3  °° 

ALLEGIANCE  MEDAL l8        J  I2 

TIME  INCREASES  HIS    FAME 16 

COMMENCEMENT  OF  CABINET 12 

WASHINGTON  AND  JACKSON 10 

WASHINGTON  AND  LINCOLN 10 

WASHINGTON  AND  GRANT 10 

WASHINGTON  WREATH i° 

LINCOLN  AND  GRANT 10 

LINCOLN  BROKEN  COLUMN 10  3° 

The  diameter  of  the  Medals  is  expressed  by  numbers,  each  of  which 
indicates  the  sixteenth  of  an  inch. 

Medals  struck  to  order  in  Gold,  Silver,  or  Bronze,  from  dies  of  Public 
Institutions. 

Gold  Medals,  payable  in  Gold  Coin ;  Silver  Medals,  payable  in  Silver 
Coin ;  Bronze  Medals,  in  U.  S.  Notes. 

the  regular  Proof  Set.  The  Superintendent  will  furnish,  without  charge, 
on  application  therefor,  a  Pattern  Piece  to  any  incorporated  Numismatic 
Society  in  the  United  States.  In  such  cases,  if  the  pattern  is  in  gold  or 
silver,  the  value  of  the  metal  will  be  required. 


The  following  tables,  exhibiting  the  values  in  United  States  money  of 
the  pure  gold  or  silver  representing  respectively  the  monetary  units 
and  standard  coins  of  foreign  countries,  are  taken  from  the  report  of 
the  Director  of  the  Mint  for  the  year  1875. 


Country. 

Monetary  unit. 

Standard. 

Value  in 
U.  S. 
money. 

Standard  coins. 

Argentine  Rep.... 
Austria  

Peso  fuerte  
Florin  

Gold  
Silver  
Gold  and  sil. 
Gold  and  sil. 

Gold  

Gold  
Gold  

$1.00 

•45,3 
.19,3 
•96,  5 

•54,5 

1.  00 
.91,  2 
.91,8 
.91,  2 

•92.5 
.26,8 
.91,8 

4-97,4 

.19.3 
4.86,  6% 

•19.3 

.23,8 
•95,2 
•99,7 

•43,6 
•19,3 

1.  00 

•99,8 

-38,5 
.26,8 

I.OO 

91,8 
•92.5 

I.  08,  4 
•73,4 

I.OO 

•'9.3 

.26,8 

•'9.3 
.82,9 
.11,8 
•°4,3 

.91,8 
•94,9 

None. 
Florin. 
5,  10,  and  20  francs. 
Kscudo.  YI  bolivar 
and  bolivar. 
None. 

Dollar. 
Condor,  doubloon, 
and  Kscudo. 

10  and  20  crowns. 
Dollar. 
5,   10,   25,   and   50 
piasters. 
5,  10,  and  20  francs. 
%    sovereign    and 
sovereign. 
5,  10,  20,   50,   and 
loo  drachmas. 
5,  10,  and  20  marks. 

i,  2,  5,  10,  and  20 
yen. 

5,  10,  20,  50,  and  100 
lire. 

Peso  or  dollar,  5,  10, 
25,  andsocentavo. 
}4  florin,  florin,  and 
2j^  florins. 
10  and  20  crowns. 

2,5,  and  lomilreis. 
1A>  l/z,  and  I  ruble. 

5,  10,  20,   50,    and 
100  pesetas. 
10  and  20  crowns. 
5,  10,  and  20  francs. 

25,  5°,  100,  250,  and 
500  piasters. 

Bolivia  

Brazil  
British    Possess, 
in  N.  America. 

Dollar  
Milreis  of  1000  reis... 

Dollar  
Peso    

Central  America. 
Chili 

Dollar, 

Silver  

Peso  

Gold  

Cuba 

Peso  

Gold  

Denmark  

Crown  
Dollar  

Gold  
Silver  

Egypt  

Pound  of  100  piasters. 

Gold  

Gold  and  sil. 
Gold  

Gold  and  sil 
Gold  

Great  Britain  

Pound  sterling  

German  Empire. 

Mark  
Dollar  

Yen                        

Gold  

India  

Rupee  of  16  annas... 

Silver  
Gold  and  sil. 

Gold  
Silver  

Silver  

Gold  
Gold  

Liberia  
Mexico  

Netherlands  
Norway  

Dollar  
Dollar  

Florin  

Crown  
Peso  

Peru  
Porto  Rico  

Dollar  
Peso  

Silver  
Gold  
Gold  

Russia  
Sandwich  Isl'ds. 

Ruble  of  loo  copecks. 
Dollar  
Peseta  of  100  centimes 

Crown  

Silver..'  
Gold  
Gold  and  sil. 

Gold  

Gold  and  sil. 
Silver  
Silver  ... 

Sweden  

Tripoli  

M  ahbub  of  20  piasters 

U.S.  of  Colombia 
Uruguay  

Peso  
Patacon  

Silver  
Gold  

STATEMENT  SHOWING  THE  AVERAGE  WEIGHT,  FINENESS 
AND  VALUE  OF  FOREIGN  COINS,  AS  DETERMINED  BY 
UNITED  STATES  MINT  ASSAYS 

EXPLANATORY   REMARKS. 

1.  The  weight   is  expressed   in  fractions   of  an  ounce 
troy,  agreeing  with  the  terms  used  in  the  United  States 
mints. 

If  it  is  desired  to  have  the  weight  of  any  piece  in  grai 
regard  the  thousandths  of  an  ounce  as  integers,  take  their 
half,  from  which  deduct  four  per  cent,  of  that  half,  and  the 
remainder  will  be  grains. 

2.  The  fineness  is  expressed  in  thousandth  parts;  i.e., 
so  many  parts  of  pure  gold  or  silver  in  1000  parts  of  the 
coin.     The  old  carat  system  is  generally  abandoned 
cept  for  jewelry),  but  it  may  be  worth  while  to  say  that 
4 1 ^i  thousandths  equal  one  carat. 

3.  The  valuation   of  gold  is  at  the  legal  rate  of  25.8 
grains,  900  fine,  being  equal  to  one  dollar;   or  $20.672 
(nearly)  per  ounce  of  fine  gold. 

4.  The  valuation  of  silver  is  at  the  trade-dollar  rate, 
viz. :   420  grains,  900  fine,  to  the  dollar. 

5.  These  tables  generally  give  the  one  principal  coin  of 
each  country,  from  which  the  other  sizes  are  easily  deduced. 
Thus  when  the  franc  system  is  used,  there  are  generally  gold 
pieces  of  40,  20,  10,  and  5  francs,  all  in  due  proportion. 
But  in  silver,  the  fractional  coins  are  very  often  of  less  in- 
trinsic value  than  the  normal  coin,  proportionally.     These 
are  seldom  exported. 


90 


GOLD   COINS. 


Country. 

Denomination. 

Gross 
•weight. 

Fineness. 

Standard 
weight. 

Value  in 
U.S. 
money. 

Austria  
Do  

Fourfold  ducat  
Souverain    (no    longer 

Ounces. 
0.448 

0.363 
0.104 
0.1119 
0.254 

0-575 
0.209 
0.027 
0.491 

0.867 
!-°33 
i-°34 
1.029 
0.476 
0.288 
0.427 
0.275 

0.2568 
0.2563 
0.207 
0.256 

0.427 
0.185 
0-375 
0.207 
1.072 
0.86735 
i.  086 
1.084 
0.215 

0-525 
0.288 

1-0357 
0.308 

O.2IO 
0.268 
O.2I5 
0.27045 
O.I  1  1 

0.104 

0.288 
0.161 
0.231 

T/iou'stAs. 
986 

900 
900 
985.5 
899 
916.5 
853-5 
875 
898 

870 
887 
891.5 
891.5 
858.5 
900 
895 
875 

916.5 
916.5 

899 
900 

9°3 
900 
916.5 
899 
900 
870.25 
875 
873 
899 
891-5 
900 
898.75 
912 
916 
896.5 
869 
897 
975 
900 
900 
900 
9J5 

Ounces. 
0.4908 

0.363 
0.104 
0.1225 
0-2537 
0.5855 
0.1982 
0.0262 
0.4899 

0.8381 
1.018 
1.0242 
1.0192 
0-454 
0.288 
0.4246 
0.2673 

0.2615 
0.2609 
0.2067 
0.256 

0.4284 
0.185 
0.3818 
0.2067 
1.072 
0.8386 
1-0558 
1.0514 
0.2147 
0.520 
0.288 
1034 
0.312 

0.2  n7 
0.2668 
0.207 
0.2695 

O.I  202 
O.IO4 
0.288 

0.161 
0.2348 

d.   c.  tn. 
9   '3   * 

6   75   4 
i   93   5 
2   -27  9 
4    72   o 
10   89   3 
3  °8   7 
o  48   7 
9   ii   4 

IS   59   2 
18  94  o 
'9  05   5 
18  96  2 

8  44   7 
5   35   8 
7  89   8 
4  97  3 

4  86  5 
4  85   4 
3   84   5 
4   ?6  3 

7  97  o 
3  44   2 
7   '°  3 
3   84   5 
'9  94   2 
15   60  o 

19     64     2 
19     56     I 

3  99   3 
9  67   4 
5   35   8 
'9   23   7 
5   80  5 
3  97  5 
4  96   3 
3  86  2 
5  oi   4 
2   23   6 
i   93  4 
5  35   8 
2  99   5 
4  36  8 

Do  
Do  

4  florins  (new)  

Belgium  
Brazil  

25  francs  

Central  America. 
Do  

Chili  

Colomb  i  a    and 
South  America 

Old  doubloons* 

20  pesos,  "  Bogota".... 
20  pesos,  "  Medellin".. 
20  pesos,  "  Popayan".. 
10  pesos  

L)0  

Do     

Costa  Rica  

Do  

Old  ten-thaler  
Bcdidlik  (100  piastTs). 
Pound,    o  r    sovereign 

Do  

Pound,  average  (worn). 

German  Empire. 
Do      

Old    ten-thaler   (Prus- 

Greece 

India  (British)...  jMohur,  or  15  rupees  J.. 

Mexico  
Do  
Do 

Doubloon  
20  pesos  (empire)  
20  pesos  (republic,  new) 
10  gilders  
10  pesos  (dollars)  

Netherlands  
New  Granada.... 

Peru  

Portugal  

Coroa  (crown)  

Spain  
Do  

100  reals  

Do  
Sweden  
Do  
Do 

10  escudos  
Ducat  
Carolin  do  francs)  
New  20  crowns  (krone) 

Turkey  

100  piasters  

tor  all.      fopayan  pieces  were  ratntr  interior. 

t  The  sovereigns  coined  at  Melbourne  and  Sydney,  in  Australia,  and  distinguished 
only  by  the  mint-marks  M  and  S,  are  the  same  as  those  of  the  London  mint.  Sov- 
ereigns generally  are  up  to  the  legal  fineness,  91673  (or  22  carats),  but  we  report  to 
the  halt  in  all  cases. 

\  The  la>t  coinage  of  tuoliurs  was  in  1862. 


92 

SILVER   COINS. 


Country. 

Denomination. 

Gross 
weight. 

Fineness. 

Standard 
•weight. 

Value 
in  U.  S. 
money. 

Austria  
Do...  
Do  
Do 

Old  rix-dollar  
Old  scudo  crown  
Florin,  before  1858  

Ounces. 
0.902 
0836 
o-45i 
o-397 
0.596 

0.895 
0.803 
0.320 
0.801 
08187 
0.150 
0.1875 
0866 
0.864 
0.801 
0.866 
0.087 
0.927 
0.040 
0.1825 
0.178 
0.365 
0.8018 
0.320 
.  o  712 
0.505 
0.340 
0.804 
0.719 
0-374 
0.802 
0.160 
0.8667 
0.402 
0.870 
0-435 
0.861 
0.804 
0.027 
0.803 
0.866 
0.766 
0-433 
0.802 
0.400 
0.322 
0.667 
0.800 
0.160 
0.273 
0.320 
0.511 
0.770 

Thous'ths. 

833 
902 

833 
900 
900 

838 
8y7 
835 
900 
9*7-75 
925 
925 
850 
908 
900.5 
901 
901 
877 
755 
924.5 

925 
925 
900 
835 
75° 
900 
900 
900 
900 
916.5 
900 
835 
900 
800 
9°3 
898-5 
902.5 

944 
877 
896 
901 
900 
650 
900 
912 
835 
875 
900 
835 
750 
835 
898.5 
830 

Ounces. 
0.8348 
0.8378 
0.4174 
0-397 
0.596 

0.8334 
0.8003 
0.2968 
0.801 
0.8348 
0.1541 
0.1927 
0.8178 
0.8716 
0.8014 
0.8669 
0.08709 
0.90331 
0.0335 
0.1874 
0.1829 
0.3751 
0.8018 
02968 
0-5933 
0-595 
0.340 
0.804 
0.7198 
0.380 
0.802 
0.1484 
0.8667 

0-3573 
0.8729 

0-4.-43 
0.8633 
0.8433 
0-9033 
0.7994 
0.8669 
0.766 
0.3127 
0.802 
0.4053 
0.^987 
0.6484 
0.800 
0.1484 
0.2-J75 
0.2969 
0.5101 
0.7101  . 

d.  c.  vt. 
o  95  4 
o  95  7 
o  47  7 
o  45  3 
o  68  i 

o  95  2 
o  91  5 
o  33  9 
o  91  5 
o  95  4 
o  17  6 

O    22    O 

o  93  5 
o  99  6 
o  91  6 
o  99  i 
o  09  9 

1    03    2 

o  03  8 
o  21  4 
o  20  9 
o  42  9 
o  91  6 
o  33  9 
o  67  8 
o  68  o 
o  38  9 
o  91  9 

O   82    2 

o  43  4 
o  91  7 
o  16  9 
o  99  i 
o  40  8 
o  99  8 
o  49  6 
o  98  7 
o  96  4 

I    03    2 

o  91   i 
o  99  o 
087  5 
o  35  7 
o  91  6 
o  46  3 
o  34  i 
o  74  i 
o  94  4 
o  16  9 
o  26  o 
o  33  9 
o  58  3 
o  81  i 

Do  

New  Union  dollar  
Maria  Theresa  dollar, 
1780  

Do  

Belgium  
Do 

5  francs  

Do  
Central  America  ... 
Chili  

25  cents  
Dollar  
Old  dollar  

Do  
China  
Do 

New  dollar  
Dollar  (English  mint)... 

Do  

Shilling  (average)  
Flurin  

Do          

L)o         

N.  German  States. 
Do  
S.  German  States.. 
German  Empire.... 

Thaler,  before  1857  
Thaler  (new)  
Florin  
5  marks  (new)  

Italy  

Do  

Do  

Dollar   

Do  

Half  dollar  

Do  

Pesto  of  Maximilian.... 

Norway  
New  Granada  
Peru 

Specie  daler  
Dollar  of  1857  
Old  dollar  

Do  

Dollar  of  1858  

Do  . 

Half-dollar  of  1835  '38. 

Do  

Sol  

Roumania  
Russia  
Spain  
Do  
Sweden  

2  lei  (francs),  new  
Ruble  
5  pesetas  (dollars)  
Peseta  (pistareeir  
Rixdaler  '.  

Tunis  

5  piasters  

THE 


k 

*T 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


JUN  1  8  1998 

sr 

2  WEEK  LC 


Series  9482 


